Forgotten
by Sassybratt
Summary: AU: Months have passed since a girl's fatal accident, leaving a grieving mother behind. Suddenly, Kagome's husband swears they never had a child and her psychiatrist insists she's delusional. Worst of all, there's no evidence to prove she ever existed.
1. Therapeutic Answers

_Many thanks to Incomprehensible, hedanicree, and enlightened-heart-ai for serving as my betas. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha; all rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Title was borrowed from Avril Lavigne's song 'Forgotten,' which played a partial role in formulating ideas. _

**Forgotten  
Chapter 1: Therapeutic Answers**

It was an annoying sound: the creaking of the chains as they swung back and forth, groaning from disuse. At the same time, it soothed the woman's troubled soul; her brown eyes stared across the vast gray of the approaching winter as shriveled leaves dropped softly from their branches to the ground below. The grass had become cold and unwelcoming, much like the sky above. She could not recall the last time she felt sunshine warm her face or heard the flutter of a bird's wings as it flew by.

Slowly, her gaze moved from the palms of her hands and toward the old playground stretching out in front of her. Even as the paint continued to peel from the well-worn structure, the laughter of children filled the air. A sad smile touched her lips as a memory of a little girl came to mind. Her eyes stung with tears, but she could not cry. Ebony hair touched her face with the cool breeze, and she wrapped her arms tighter around her body, relishing in the warm fabric of her coat.

She pressed her head against the chains of the swing, lazily allowing her eyes to wander the remainder of the park. She watched as happy parents welcomed their sons and daughters into the warmth of their embrace. Her hand came to rest above her chest, a throb of pain coming from her heart. A frown marred her lips as her eyes darted around. Suddenly, the smiles seemed to be suffocating, and she found the outdoors too tight. Childish laughter rang in her ears, even as day turned to night and she was left alone.

The swing continued to creak.

V^V^V^V^V

Rain battered against the window pane. Her eyes were drawn to the streets below, watching as people with umbrellas quickly made their way through the storm. The yellow hue of taxi cabs seemed odd in the otherwise gloom of the city. She absently wondered who chose to paint the cars such a bright color.

A sigh escaped her lips as she turned her gaze to the small room she occupied. It seemed like a prison, with two small windows and pale colors. The storm sent an array of patterns across the wall, creating various shades of gray. Her lips twitched slightly with a smile. It was the first beautiful thing she had seen in a long time. It wasn't often she allowed herself to steal a glimpse at the simple pleasures in life.

"Kagome."

The masculine voice brought her out of her musings. She looked at the man seated across from her, suddenly all too aware of his presence. He had a decent build and hair black as night, tied in a small ponytail at the nape of his neck. A pair of glasses sat upon the bridge of his nose and his violet eyes peered at her intently. She must have zoned out again during their session. It happened often.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

He crossed one leg over the other and sat his notepad on his lap. "How much time did you spend at the dresser compared to last week?"

_Rin._

A familiar faraway look came to her eyes. "Less," she replied quietly.

"How much less?"

_A bouquet of pressed daisies, the petals rough beneath her fingertips as she gently sat them down. She always loved flowers._

She shook her head slightly. "I don't know."

"Can you make an estimate?" He took a sip of his coffee, patiently awaiting her response.

"Oh, not even an hour a day."

_She had been so much smaller than the other children. Her hair color resembled that of her mother's and her eyes held the warmth of sunshine. Kagome watched the television as a little girl ran around, grinning as she played. A smile touched her lips._

"How long has it been since your loss?" the doctor asked. It was the same question he asked every day.

She looked at him, letting loose a humorless chuckle. "You're hoping I guess again."

"How long?" he repeated, ignoring the barb.

Her eyes found her hands. "Fourteen months. Six days. I can tell you what time it was down to the hour and minute if you want." She peered up at him with glazed eyes and a sad smile. "I can't help it."

He nodded slightly. "It's all right. Just a memory doing its job."

"_Eleven Die in Air Tragedy," the newspaper's headline read. There was no escaping the cold truth. Her daughter smiled back at her in the black and white print, wearing a single flower in her hair. _

"Sesshomaru says I have a death grip on the past," she mumbled after a moment of silence.

"How are you getting along?" He scribbled something down in his notes before peering at her over the rim of his glasses. "Did you fight at all this week?"

Kagome quirked her head, smiling at him mockingly. "Sesshomaru doesn't fight, he negotiates."

"Are you comfortable physically?" he interjected, shifting in his chair. "How's the sex?"

She wrapped an arm tightly around her torso as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "How would you feel if I asked you that question?" she replied uncomfortably, sighing. "How's sex with Mrs. Houshi? Would you answer?"

A humorous smile touched his lips. "If I had a wife, yes, but I'd have to charge you more."

Kagome grinned at his comment. Glancing over at the table beside her, she was surprised to find an unused coaster sitting there. Her brows furrowed with confusion as she touched it, half-expecting it to be an illusion. When nothing happened, she turned around and looked at the window ledge, moving her hair away from her face.

Dr. Houshi watched her movements intently. "What's wrong?"

She placed her hand on the coaster once more. "I had my coffee." Her eyes found his.

"No," he replied slowly. "Not today."

"I just had some," she insisted.

"I offered, but you said no this time. Last time you had a cup." She could only stare at him with disbelief as he set his notepad to the side, giving her his full attention. "Memory slips."

"I didn't forget," she said, shaking her head. "I can still taste the coffee."

"You smell my coffee," he stated, pointedly raising his cup. "And you manufactured a memory, a taste. That's all." He slowly took a small sip. "You _do _hang on hard."

The words coming out of her therapist's mouth made no sense. It was all she could do to convince herself he was a liar. She moved her tongue inside her mouth, feeling the faint burn as she swallowed. It had been a small cup of coffee, two sugars with a hint of vanilla. There was no mistaking the rich taste. So why was he telling her different?

He set his cup back down and readjusted his glasses, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Sometimes the mind needs help in letting things go."

Kagome narrowed her eyes into slits, contemplating the man sitting across from her accusingly. "You expect me to let go of my daughter?" she enunciated, catching on to the implied meaning behind his words.

A small part of her knew she was being difficult, but the larger part of her refused to be swayed. Her patience was tried every time she set foot in the man's apartment. It was him who had trouble seeing things the way they should be. She could see a grim line forming on his lips and a deep sigh escaped the doctor's lips as he paused.

"Kagome, do you perhaps think you amplify some memories of Rin? Add to them?"

Her head shook slightly. "No," she replied quietly. "Why would I?"

"I don't know. _You _tell _me," _the doctor said calmly, seeming to scrutinize her.

Kagome hesitated, unsure exactly what Dr. Houshi wanted her to say. He scribbled something down on his clipboard one-handedly, probably noting about her reluctance to answer his odd questions.

Silence filled the room, the clock in the corner quietly ticking as it wound down the hour and the end of their session. The rain continued to pound against the windows as Dr. Houshi sighed and stood, finishing whatever it was he wrote on the annoyingly ever-present clipboard, and swinging his arm toward the door. "Our time is up for today, Kagome. I'll see you later this week."

She merely nodded and followed his lead, walking through the remainder of his apartment before parting ways with him by the elevator. It was four floors down to the ground level, but every day she took the stairs. That way, she was able to determine how fast she walked, which direction she'd take and who was beside her. She was in control.

Kagome nodded at a passerby with a smile before clutching her purse tighter around her shoulder. She bowed her head as she stepped out onto the bustling sidewalk, allowing the rain to dampen her hair, before quickly striding across the street. Standing in the middle of the road, she glanced around fervently for her car, her eyes swinging up and down the crowded street. She could have sworn she had parked it right in front of Dr. Houshi's apartment complex.

"Do you need help?" a foreboding voice called from a nearby car.

She glanced over to see a man with dark hair and unusual burgundy eyes. "I parked my car here," she said, digging her keys out of her purse and standing near his window. "Just an hour ago."

He nodded with concern. "What kind of car is it?"

"A red Volvo." His eyes glanced behind him to the opposite side of the street. He pointed to a car that matched her description. She sighed with relief. "Thanks."

His lips twitched into a smile, and a shiver ran down her spine. "I forget all the time." She nodded slowly, suddenly feeling self-conscious under his gaze. With a final glance, she began walking toward her car. Her heels clicked heavily on the pavement as she hastened her stride, fighting the urge to look back over her shoulder at the man.

The ride home only took ten minutes, but it was enough time for her to mull over their session that day. Although she had forgotten things before – like times for appointments or where she left her keys – she hadn't been mistaken about the coffee.

Even now, she could still taste it when she licked her lips. Was the doctor right? Had her memory slipped so far that she was making up things or producing false memories? Kagome shook her head, not wanting to drown in such things, instead deciding to ask about it in their next session.

Ayumi, a long-time friend and next door neighbor, was just locking her door as Kagome drove up in front of the building. Parking on the curb, she climbed out of her car and met the dark-haired woman half way.

"Hey, Ayumi," she greeted cheerfully, smiling brightly at the robust female and leaning in for a hug.

"Oh, Kagome! How've you been? I haven't seen you in a while."

"I know," Kagome lamented, rubbing the back of her neck and smiling sheepishly. "I've just been really busy."

"Don't be silly," Ayumi cut in, waving the explanation away, "I didn't mean it that way; we just haven't hung out in a while. I've gotta go now, but give me a call some time and we'll get lunch or something."

"Sure," she replied easily, moving out of the way and watching as Ayumi unlocked and slid into her car. "Catch you later."

It was strange to talk to her old friend after such a long time – they hadn't spoken since right after the accident. After the time for consoling had passed, a rift had begun to form between her and the rest of the world. The time had come, she decided silently, to allow life to continue forward; no matter how painful it would be. It was for the best; that much she knew.

With a smile, Kagome hurried up the porch steps and into her home, closing the door behind her. The phone began ringing upon her arrival, and she rushed to catch it, listening to the sound as she searched for the missing appliance. On the fourth ring, she managed to find the phone buried beneath the couch pillows.

"Hello?" she answered while setting down her bag.

"Good afternoon, Kagome," a cold voice spoke over the receiver. "What are you doing?"

She took off her coat and laid it across the back of the couch. "Oh, I just got back from my appointment with Miroku."

"Perhaps you would feel up to going out tonight?" he spoke. The bustle of city traffic could be heard in the background.

Kagome bit her lip. "I don't know," she replied slowly, unsure of venturing out. "I think I'd rather stay home. Sorry."

"I suppose that's all right." His voice sounded like it had been squeezed out of his chest, contradicting his words, and Kagome knew he was disappointed. Although the change in his voice was slight, knowing him the way she did, she was able to pick up on the difference.

"I'll cook something fancy," she said with a smile in hopes of making up for it.

He paused, thinking it over. "No," he replied, his voice stern. "It's too much for you to handle."

"I want to," she persisted immediately, rolling her eyes even though she knew he couldn't see it. She stared longingly at the picture on the small side table that usually accommodated the phone's charger as she sat down and absently kicked off her shoes. She traced the three people in the picture – Herself with a happy glow and huge smile; her daughter, alight with laughter; and even her husband with a tiny, nearly imperceptible smile on his face – with her eyes as she made up her mind.

"Sesshomaru, I want to, okay?"

She could hear his exasperated huff on the other end before he admitted defeat. "Do as you please." The dial tone greeted her immediately after his compliance, and she knew he had hung up. He never was one for goodbyes, though, and that suited her just fine.

Glancing to the photograph one last time, she placed the phone in its cradle. With a heavy sigh, she proceeded to put her things away and make her way to the kitchen. Perhaps she could try her hand at something she'd all but deemed out of the question; once her daughter's favorite.

"Life must continue on," she reminded herself as she padded down the hallway. If she could do this small thing, then maybe she could make herself believe that as well.

Kagome smiled. "Maybe."


	2. Paranoia

_Many thanks to Incomprehensible for serving as my beta._

To those I couldn't respond to:

erica: Ha ha! Thanks for such an enthusiastic review. I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much. However, it will be quite confusing probably until the last few chapters. So just bear with me and let me know how you like it.

twilightluver04: Wow, I hoped your reaction would be something along those lines. Thanks so much for the review, as I always look forward to what you have to say. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

**Forgotten  
Chapter 2: Paranoia**

The wind howled in the blackness of the eve, sending small animals scurrying for cover. Leaves twirled across the pavement in an ethereal dance while branches twisted under the gale storm. It was not a night to be wandering the streets.

Kagome shivered involuntarily as she tore her gaze away from the window, thankful she was inside with the warmth of the oven as comfort. She absently stirred the boiling pot in front of her, watching the bubbles simmer and pop as the spoon continued its steady circular motion.

Vegetables sat in small bowls on the counter, each filled with an exact amount. They were color-coordinated and spaced apart precisely two inches. Her therapist called it obsessive-compulsive disorder. She called it neat.

Cooking gave her a way to think, a way to allow her thoughts to wander and take her back to happier times where grief didn't haunt her every waking moment. Kagome sighed and placed a hand on her hip lazily, turning to stare out the window.

The front door clicked closed, startling her from her nostalgic memories. "Hey," she greeted her husband with a smile, genuinely happy to see him. He strode into the kitchen with his briefcase in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. "What's the occasion?"

"You," Sesshomaru replied simply, setting down his coat and work bag and kissing her on the forehead – an action that had quickly become tradition to the pair. "–For returning to work. It'll do you good." Turning around, Sesshomaru placed the bottle of wine on unused counter space and let his eyes roam over her set up. A worried line creased between his brows as he contemplated his wife's current mental state.

Kagome shrugged and returned to watching the pot boil. "It's just a freelance edit job," she replied nonchalantly. "I'm not even sure I want to do it."

The young business man leaned against the counter and folded his arms, watching her closely. "You will do it," he said, his voice authoritive, but not commanding. "It'll help." With his mind made up, and assuming she understood the meaning behind his reassurance; he turned to open the wine. "What's the name of this book?"

Kagome sniffed disdainfully at him from her post at the stove. "Psychotic Women and the Men Who Love Them." Her voice was tired when she said this and he stopped all movements, sliding a sideways glance at her. Kagome stopped stirring and looked up, letting a small smile flit across her lips. His eyes glowered with warning. "I'm kidding!" She grinned, mood suddenly having turned playful, mischief written plainly in her eyes. "It's a children's book."

Sesshomaru closed his eyes for a brief moment to reel in his frustration. Although Kagome had always had a sarcastic streak to her name, the underlying hurt at being put through therapy belied her seemingly carefree tone.

"Woman," he grumbled low in his chest warningly, opening his eyes to steal a glance at her from the corner of his eye.

Kagome giggled quietly as she abandoned the pot for the living room. "Sorry." She squeezed his arm gently as she passed, assuring him all was well. "Let me get those glasses your brother gave us."

"Speaking of psychotics," he mumbled just loud enough so Kagome could hear. She laughed at that, but didn't comment as he turned around to clear away the kitchen table, placing his briefcase on the floor.

Walking into the living room, Kagome passed by the end table and stole a glance at the picture she held dear to her heart. However, instead of seeing the three smiling faces of her family, the frame held only herself and Sesshomaru; the same expression etched into their faces.

Kagome frowned, and an overwhelming feeling of heartache took over, causing a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She picked up the frame and grazed her fingers over the glass, letting her eyes fall to the kitchen where her husband now stood. Her boots clicked across the hardwood floor in disbelief as she stormed into the kitchen.

"What have you done, Sesshomaru?" she demanded, overcome by panic and feeling just a bit desperate.

He turned toward her, looking up from the boiling pot. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"What have you _done?" _she reiterated, adding more force to the question.

"Kagome." His voice was stern, but somehow also gentle – Sesshomaru always was one for contradictions; _especially_ relating to himself – sounding confused.

She shook her head, ignoring the sting of tears behind her eyes. "Why'd you change the picture?"

"What nonsense do you speak of now?" he asked disinterestedly, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow so it was hidden behind his bang, looking for all the world like she had just told him about some epic adventure she had while time-traveling through a well.

Of course, to Sesshomaru, it would probably be met with the same indifference he showed the rest of the world on a daily and unnaturally unhealthy (in Kagome's opinion) basis.

"This Sesshomaru did not change anything."

"Do you think this _helps_ me?" she continued in her rage, ignoring his denial. "Taking her away?"

He straightened to full height and moved to stand in front of her. "Kagome, stop this insistent badgering immediately."

"_No!_" she snapped defiantly, taking a step away from him. "I want the picture of the three of us. What did you think? That I wouldn't notice? That I wouldn't _care?_" Kagome threw the picture to the ground, hearing the glass shatter on contact.

Not bothering to wait for a reply, Kagome glared despicably at her husband, turned on her heel and stormed out of the house, fuming over her husband's obvious lack of empathy. Rin had been his daughter, too. Was he really trying to erase the little girl from their lives, as if she had never existed?

Sesshomaru stood quietly after Kagome left, eyeing the direction of the front door. She needed time to cool off, he decided. Glancing down at the picture at his feet, he traced his gaze over the two figures within the frame. Perhaps his wife needed more help than he cared to admit.

V^V^V^V^V

The cool night air nipped at Kagome's face as she briskly walked down the street. Her heels clicked noisily against the pavement, her only companion in the eerie, graveyard-like silence.

Doubt and confusion swam through her head when she thought about Sesshomaru's reaction to her accusation. After knowing him for so many years, even Kagome couldn't tell if he had been lying or not. Was this his way in helping her through the mental process of losing a child?

Shaking her head to clear the thoughts for the time being, Kagome realized she had walked to the park where Rin used to play. As she passed by the chain-link fence, her fingers grazed over the worn metal, letting memories of sunny days fill her mind. A smile touched her face as she walked into the deserted area, feeling the woodchips crunch beneath her weight.

No childish laughter filled the night as she passed by the slide and jungle gym, recalling the first day she had brought Rin to the park so many years ago. The little girl had been fascinated by the magical place, and spent her years having grand new adventures every day. It had been her own little fantasy.

Kagome slowly walked toward her personal realm of wishful thinking, hearing the familiar creaking of the chains as she neared. However, the wind was not strong enough at this hour to move the swings so forcefully. Curious, she peered around a bush and set her eyes on the swing set.

A dark figure sat alone on the middle swing, his hands jammed into his brown jacket pockets. He swung lazily, suspended in the air two feet off the ground, swinging the seat back and forth as he stared at the ground, seemingly lost in thought. Kagome took a few steps forward, squinting against the darkness, hoping to catch a better glimpse of the man.

He glanced up at the sound of her approach and flashed a crooked smile. "I come here hoping to meet other swingers," he said quietly. He dug his heels into the soft ground and stopped the swing from moving, ceasing all noise from the chains. "You're the first one."

Kagome tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled. "We know each other," she said, taking a step forward. "I'm Kagome, remember?" He stared at her blankly with a hazy gaze. "Kagome Taisho, Rin's mom?" The man sitting on the swing looked up at her as she took a few steps toward him, her eyes curiously running over his unshaven face and confused expression. Glancing down at his feet, she recognized an almost empty bottle of whiskey sitting beside him. "We're all tired of condolences," she said quietly, meeting his eyes once more. "But I miss Ayame, too."

He sat silently for a moment, his usual bright blue eyes dulled to nearly gray as he swung idly from side to side. The chains creaked against his weight as he sighed and stood up, the bottle clutched tightly in his hand. "Well," he stated, voice rougher than she remembered. "I'm done for the night. So, I gotta go." He wiped the sleeve of his jacket under his nose like a child, sniffling against the cold.

Kagome cocked her head to the side. "You don't remember me," she stated.

He grinned. "Sure, you want my swing." He nudged his head behind him, indicating the lone seat.

She shook her head and glanced away. "No," she mumbled. The booze must have been impairing his memory.

His eyes quickly glanced toward the apartment buildings just north of the park, before settling back on her face once more. Kagome peered at him curiously. "Do you want to come home with me?" he asked, swaying slightly with impaired speech. "I live over there."

"Goodnight, Kouga," she interjected, shaking her head and smiling sadly.

He nodded toward her, letting his eyes trail over her body. "You do know me," he breathed, smiling with approval. "That's why you won't go home with me." He chuckled and began walking away from her, taking a swig of whiskey in the process.

Kagome watched him walk off in the direction of the apartments before he disappeared into the darkness, eyes glued to the spot long after he had vanished from sight.

A breath shuddered from her lungs as she closed her eyes, trying to regain her lost nerves. She had known Kouga for quite some time, but never had she witnessed him drunk out of his mind. It sent a shiver down her spine and she couldn't help the fear that crept into her veins.

Hunching her shoulders to keep away the chill, she walked over to where Kouga had been sitting moments before her and took a seat. The warmth of the seat kept away the cold as she pushed off slightly from the ground, allowing the swing to move back and forth in a lazy manner. The wind howled, ruffling the leaves as they tumbled across the ground and chilling her legs.

It was, however, nothing compared to the clatter of the chains as they creaked beneath her weight, moving back and forth with her motions. The wind whipped through her hair and she closed her eyes, relishing in the memories the feelings and noises brought.

V^V^V^V^V

The house was quiet when Kagome returned later that evening. Not a single light had been left on for her and she inwardly scowled. Leave it to Sesshomaru to be so inconsiderate as to turn off all the lights.

Sighing, she slipped off her shoes and hung up her jacket, flipping on a light switch and glancing into the kitchen, noticing that most of the dishes had been cleaned up save for one. Hunger had been far from her mind all evening, so she simply shut off the light and retreated to the living room.

Holding out her hands, she blindly walked through the rest of the house, guided only by the slivers of the moonlight that floated through the windowpanes. She found the stairs with ease and began her assent, counting each step until she had reached the top. Luckily, she kept her pajamas in the bathroom, so there was no need to wake up her husband trying to find them.

Washed up and prepared for bed, Kagome silently opened their bedroom door and crept inside. She slipped under the bed covers, cringing as they rustled loudly in the otherwise silent room. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she shifted over to where Sesshomaru laid, placing a tender kiss on his bare shoulder.

"Sesshomaru," she whispered, tracing random patterns into his skin. Kagome let her lips linger near his ear, her hot breath tickling his neck. "Please don't ask me to let go," she pleaded quietly. Silence was her only answer. "Sesshomaru?"

His heavy breathing indicated that he was asleep, and so, with a defeated sigh, Kagome turned over to her side of the bed and settled down. She stared up at the ceiling, running memories through her mind.

"_Mom, look!" a little girl cried out in joy as she ran through the small airport terminal. Her white gym shoes thumped against the carpeted floor and her backpack bounced with each step. Sun shone brightly through the large set of windows to their left, warming the cold, austere interior of the airport._

_Kagome laughed gleefully as she chased Rin, watching the dark pigtails whip against her neck as she ran. A smile spread across her face, pure happiness radiating from her eyes. Her daughter glanced over her shoulder, sending her a toothy grin as she ran. "Come on, mom!" she called, running toward the window overlooking the runway._

_Rin stood on her tiptoes at the window, her hands spread across the glass as she eagerly looked down at the small plane. "There's your plane," Kagome said, coming to stand behind her daughter. She placed her hand on Rin's shoulder, running her fingers through the fine hairs at the nape of the child's neck. _

"_Yeah," the child replied absentmindedly, eyes fastened to the plane as it moved slowly about the concrete and into position. Thoughts of what adventures she'd face came to mind, imagining all that would occur once she took the plane into the big, blue sky._

V^V^V^V^V

_A/N: I know I said I was going to update SBT before this, but its been waiting for far too long. It seems two of my betas are out of commission for the moment, so the updates are going to be a bit sporadic._


	3. Disappeared

_Many thanks to Incomprehensible, hedanicree, and enlightened-hearts-ai for serving as my betas._

**Forgotten  
Chapter 3: Disappeared**

By the warmth of the sun's rays flitting softly through the windows, Kagome guessed it had to be midday.

The house was eerily quiet except for the tapping of the keys as she allowed her fingers to move swiftly across the laptop's sleek interface. Her eyes roamed over the words that had been assigned to her to go over before publishing could begin.

Even though she had forced herself to return to work, she still found her mind wandering whenever she took a small break.

Kagome continued to allow her gaze to search the living room, letting her eyes fall upon the small clutter that inhabited her home, each holding a memory.

A scowl darkened her face as her thoughts stopped on a certain businessman. She was still confused by Sesshomaru's reaction the day before: He had acted as if he had no idea what she had been talking about. Sesshomaru had looked at her like a wild animal – crazed and unpredictable. It had hurt, but her anger was understandable: Her husband had taken away a picture of their _daughter._

Memories of Rin and the small tokens she had left behind seemed to be the only things holding Kagome together. At least she knew her daughter was real. The agony in her heart was enough proof to sustain the fact, no matter what _anyone_ said.

Then again, perhaps she wasn't the only one in need of psychological care. Maybe Sesshomaru's way of coping with the loss was to erase the little girl from his life completely – to act as if she had never existed in the first place. Kagome pursed her lips. She would have to speak to Miroku about it during their next session.

With a sigh, she leaned back and rubbed her eyes, soothing them from staring at the computer screen for so long.

It didn't help that she hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before.

That morning, Kagome had woken to a cold bed. Sesshomaru hadn't even said goodbye to her, which was strange in its own right. Most mornings, he would wake her up before leaving to kiss her good morning and goodbye. He would then proceed to tell her to expect a call later in the day.

Her eyes focused on the computer once more. According to the clock in the lower right-hand corner of her screen, Sesshomaru was just finishing his lunch break, and would most likely be returning to the office.

Yet, the phone hadn't rung all day.

Casting her eyes downward, Kagome found she couldn't escape these feelings of heartache her husband bestowed upon her. So instead, she averted her attention to something that would give her a reason to smile, even if that smile was small and shaky and filled with pain locked away in her heart.

Kagome shifted through the messy stack of papers strewn about the dining room table before grasping a small wooden box. Auburn eyes filled with tears by just the thoughts of what it contained.

Her fingers shook with suppressed misery as she opened the compartment and grasped the thin sheet of paper within.

She sucked in a deep breath as she peered at the long paper, eyeing the many frames that decorated the strips. They had been taken in one of those photo booths often seen in the mall or places of entertainment. Rin's smiling face shone throughout the line of pictures as they made funny faces, trying to see who could look the goofiest.

A sad smile touched the grieving mother's lips as she recalled her little girl's excitement. Her fingers trailed up and down tenderly, almost caressing the photos.

Today had gone much better than normal. She would hate to break her progress so soon, but as Rin's voice echoed in her ears from days long passed, Kagome found she could no longer resist the tug on her heart.

The chair protested loudly, the wooden legs screeching against the hard floorboards, as she stood, placing the pictures back in the safety of the box. Then, she strode toward the place where the past continued to live.

Pulling out a drawer from the well-neglected cabinet stand that held the special glassware Kagome hardly ever used anymore, she picked up a second box. The black-haired woman opened it quickly – the metal-spined hinge squeaking as it accommodated her wishes – fingering the key within before curling her hand around it and proceeding toward her new destination.

Kagome's footsteps seemed hollow in the otherwise silent house, and she found the journey upstairs to her daughter's room longer than it should have been. Visions swam in front of her eyes as she recalled Rin's talent when it came to brightening up a room.

In a daze, Kagome followed the motions as she inserted the key into the lock, twisting it, and finally–_finally_–pushing the door open. It seemed unreal and a familiar rush of emotions came flooding back, just like every other time she had ventured into the past.

Rin's room had always been bright with yellows and oranges. Floral decorations filled every nook and cranny, filling the room with the warmth only a child could bring. Her scent still lingered – a bouquet of daisies and daffodils – heavily on the air, suffocating Kagome with its familiarity.

Although she would have preferred to keep things just the way they had been on the day of her death, her husband and psychiatrist persuaded her – or rather forced, in Kagome's opinion – into tidying up Rin's room and put things away.

Rin wasn't coming back. There was no reason to keep up appearances.

With a shuddering breath, Kagome padded over to the tall dresser on the opposite side of the room. As her hands touched the worn knobs, she closed her eyes in remembrance. "Rin," she whispered, feeling her daughter's name roll off her tongue. Opening her eyes, the young woman pulled open the top drawer and began her trek through the past.

She delicately fingered a bouquet of pressed daisies, the petals rough beneath her fingertips. Rin had always held such joy in flowers and decided to bring some home for her parents. Even though Sesshomaru had expressed little interest in the small wonder, Kagome had smiled and placed them in a small vase in the little girl's room.

Setting the flowers on top of the dresser, the doe-eyed woman turned her gaze to the next item, feeling the familiar tightness in her chest. The book was heavy in her hands as she ran her fingers over the fabric-soft cover, setting it on top of the dresser as well. Her head fell back as she stared at the ceiling, trying to keep the tears at bay.

Kagome pulled a deep breath in through her nose and pulled the cover away.

She peered down, expecting to see the smiling face of her daughter. Instead, what she found was a blank page.

_It must be a trick,_ she decided – she must have forgotten about removing the picture. Surely her memory wasn't slipping. She had probably taken the picture out and forgotten to replace it. Some silly dalliance like that she was sure.

When the next page was flipped and found to be blank as well, fear began to set in.

Kagome's hands flipped the pages as quickly as her fingers would allow, her movements hastening and brows furrowed as the ever present fear lurking just under her breath began to creep up her throat.

Every page was blank, leaving no evidence behind that there had been any photos to begin with.

Alarmed, she shoved it aside and pulled out the second book, quickly flipping through it only to come up empty handed, too. It wasn't possible. _Every _photo that had been taken of Rin had been neatly tucked away in these photo albums, Kagome was sure. Her lip quivered as tears stung the corners of her eyes.

Recalling the night before, her temper flared, and Kagome found herself quickly striding back through the hallway and toward the living room. She grasped the phone tightly as she angrily punched the numbers. It rang twice before someone answered.

"_Tenseiga Corporation, this is Jaken,"_ an old man answered grumpily. Kagome knew Jaken to be a wrinkly, hunched thing with skin tinged a faint green color; oddly reminiscent of a toad. He had never much liked her (never much liked _anyone _for that matter), and she didn't know why Sesshomaru kept him around. _"How may I direct your call?"_

"Sesshomaru Taisho, please," Kagome spoke quietly, pacing the room as she moved her hair behind her ears.

"_Mr. Taisho is in a meeting. Do you want to leave a message?"_

"Uh, yeah, I'll take a voicemail." There was a pause on the other end as he switched lines, redirecting the frantic woman.

As soon as the pound beeped after Sesshomaru's painfully short and to-the-point message, Kagome flew into a rampage.

"I can't-" she began in a tortured tone, her voice crackin slightly. "I can't believe what you did with the book." A single tear ran down her cheek. "I was so good with the photos a-and–and the lock." She ran her hand through her hair in frustration as she continued to pace, mulling over Sesshomaru's actions. Her lip quivered, and she had to bite back the wail that threatened to overwhelm her. "You-you still take-" Kagome placed her hand over her lips as she reeled in her unstable emotions.

"Do you want to make me hate you?" she choked out accusingly after a long moment had passed. "Do you want to make me hate you?" She cut back a sob and hung up the phone, digging cold fingers into her scalp.

What was she supposed to do? An urge to flee came to mind, but she knew there was nowhere to run. Her family lived miles away, and she had lost all contact with all of her friends after the accident. She needed to be consoled in some way, but she found it impossible to even attempt to smile.

Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. Panic rose within her, and she all but ran to Rin's abandoned room once more. Fumbling through the drawer of the dresser, Kagome came across a stack of videotapes and rushed back out into the living room.

Popping a cassette into the VCR, she immediately sat back on the couch and pressed play.

"Please," she murmured, waiting impatiently as the tape began to wind. "_Come on._"

The television screen blurred with white and black, leaving a fuzzy image on the screen. A minute passed as she waited for the smiling face of her daughter to come into view, but the little girl seemed to have vanished.

Kagome shook her head in disbelief, feeling another tear run down her cheek. She opened and closed her mouth several times in an attempt to say something, but the lack of image on the screen left her speechless. All the home videos she had kept tucked away, to look at when nostalgia overtook her thoughts, had been erased.

She placed a hand over her mouth and glanced down at the remote, pondering for a brief second if perhaps it was the cause for the blank tape.

She immediately discouraged that notion and scrambled back to the television set one more, ejecting the tape and shoving a new one in. The same fuzzy screen greeted her, and she couldn't help the strangled cry that tore form her lips.

Fast-forward. Rewind. Stop. Play. No matter how many times Kagome pressed the buttons on the remote, the screen stayed the same fuzzy haze of dystopia that threatened to consume her in a wave of hysteria. Whimpers escaped her as tears ran down her flushed cheeks.

Her daughter – the sunshine of her life – had been erased.

V^V^V^V^V

Sesshomaru walked briskly down the sidewalk after locking up his car. His lips were set in a thin line as he contemplated his wife's irrational behavior earlier that day.

What had happened to make Kagome so upset? He could sense the distress and frustration in her voice, and it took all his willpower to make it through the last hour of work. He could only imagine the state she would be in when he returned home.

Clutching his hand tighter around his briefcase, he walked up to his front porch and inserted the keys, letting the door swing open upon his arrival. The house was strangely still except for the quiet hum of the computer in the dining room. He peered over at the abandoned work space briefly before setting down his work bag and making his way through the house.

He came upon Kagome in the living room. She was curled up on the couch, her sweater-clad arms wrapped tightly around her body, with a distant look in her eyes as she stared at the wall.

"Kagome," Sesshomaru called gently, noting the puffiness of her eyes and flushed cheeks.

She raised her gaze to his at the sound of her name, but immediately turned away, almost shunning him. "I can't – " she began brokenly, voice a hoarse whisper as she ran a hand through her tussled hair. " – be with you anymore."

Sesshomaru stood perfectly still, eyeing her curiously.

"I don't want to see you anymore. Just get out!" she said forcefully, her eyes swimming with tears once more.

"Don't order me around," he responded sternly, taking a step toward her.

"The book … the book I can lose," she cried meekly. With a shuddered breath, she stood and stared Sesshomaru straight in the eyes. "You erased our _daughter. _You erased _our _daughter! You erased my little girl! You made it all _blank!"_

"Stop this nonsense, Kagome," he growled, his voice dangerously low. Sesshomaru stood in front of her, grasping her arms tightly. "The tapes have always been blank."

"What?!" she screamed, yanking from his clutches. "What are you saying?!"

"You're coming back," he stated vaguely, ignoring her words. She shook her head vigorously, skeptical of his lies. Sesshomaru grabbed her arms again. "The doctor-"

"Let me go!" she screamed, stumbling back and breaking free, moving to stand at the far side of the room.

He narrowed his eyes. "This is good," he stated firmly. "Kagome, this is reality. The tapes have always been blank."

"No," she mumbled with disbelief, memories of Rin clouding her mind.

Sesshomaru sighed inaudibly, closing his eyes and massaging the bridge of his nose. "I need to make a call." Before she could protest, he had already left the room and had the telephone pressed to his ear.

Kagome sank down into the couch, slowly shaking her head at her husband's words. Was he delusional? Did he honestly believe she had been watching blank tapes for the past fourteen months as a way to help her cope with the loss of her child? Sesshomaru must have gone insane sometime during her therapy sessions, when the focus was solely on her.

V^V^V^V^V

The clock ticked quietly somewhere within the dwelling. Picture books were scattered across the coffee table along with pressed daisies and blank video tapes. Kagome gazed at the objects mournfully before raising her eyes to meet the man sitting beside her.

"Do you know what he's telling me?" she asked quietly, having calmed down from her earlier frustration.

"Yes," Miroku replied, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

Kagome stole a glance at Sesshomaru. He was sitting across from her with his legs crossed, his fingers folded into a steeple. She returned her gaze to her psychiatrist. "Is he crazy?"

"No."

She furrowed her brows and turned to look at him, thoroughly confused. Sesshomaru _had _to be insane. There was no other explanation! "My child," she mumbled in an attempt to make the doctor see the truth. "Rin …"

Miroku readjusted his glasses before placing a reassuring hand on her knee. "Kagome, there was never a Rin Taisho." He paused, watching her reaction. "You never had a daughter."

Kagome shook her head in disbelief, her mouth falling open at his words. She scoffed humorlessly, flicking her hair behind a shoulder agitatedly. "This is insane," she said, moving her gaze between the two men.

"I'm sorry," Miroku apologized. "I wanted to help you slowly. But I never thought that you –"

"He erased the tapes," Kagome interrupted, shaking her head and ignoring the lazy tear that rolled down her cheek. "He replaced the pictures with empty books. How can you _believe _him?!" Her voice rose as she spoke, sitting up straighter and flailing her hands about in meaningless gestures. "Rin – she grew up! She was nine. _Nine!_" she emphasized, turning her tear-stricken gaze to Miroku. "I have _nine_ years of memories."

"Invented memories, Kagome," the doctor replied slowly. "It happens. People do this. It's called Paramnesia. You imagined a life – "

Kagome shook her head angrily. She didn't believe him – she couldn't just _make up _nine years of memories – it was illogical! "Everyone remembers Rin," she persuaded, hoping Miroku would come to his senses. "_Everyone!"_

"Kagome." Sesshomaru rested his hands against the arms of the chair, eyeing his wife carefully. If she didn't know any better, she would say that a hint of pity crossed his gaze. "Don't make a fool of yourself. You had a miscarriage and your life was in danger. The baby was premature. It was still-born; you almost died."

"Stop it!" she snapped at him. "_Just stop it!"_

"Post-traumatic shock," Miroku stated matter-of-factly, watching Kagome's eyes dart between the two of them as she turned toward him. "It affects everyone differently. Sometimes people actually invent entire alternate lives with imagined friends and lovers and children."

"Stop it!" she yelled hysterically, abruptly standing and taking a step away from them. "Why are you doing this? Why are you both trying to take her away?!" She laughed humorlessly. "I made her up? I made her _up?!"_

Her laughter continued for a moment before turning into quiet sobs. She placed her hands over her face to reel in her emotions. Taking a deep breath, she steadied her gaze and looked at Miroku. "This is so simple," she stated quietly, her voice choking with tears. She sniffled and tucked stray strands of hair behind her ears. "There are photographs."

The doctor lifted the frame with the broken glass, pointing at the spot in the photo where Rin used to be. "People with your condition can look at a photograph and see what their mind tells them to see. You used to see Rin."

"No," she denied, shaking her head. "Uh, Rin took that picture." Kagome gestured to the photo within the frame that held only her and Sesshomaru. "There was a woman. We asked her to take a picture of the three of us, and that's the one that Sesshomaru took away. We have a _million _photographs."

Miroku reached across the table and picked up a photo album, intent on showing her that there were no photographs. "No!" she yelled, tearing it from his grasp and slamming it on the table. "He took the real book away!"

"Kagome," Sesshomaru said again, clearly displeased with her reaction.

Dr. Houshi sighed and stood up slowly, adjusted his glasses, and looked her in the eyes with a somber expression. "Kagome, I was hoping we could do this without hospitalizing you."

With a tear-stricken face, she stood shock-still, completely surprised by his statement. They believed in their lies so much that they would be willing to go so far as to lock her up in an insane institution? She glanced between the two men, troubled by their reactions. Her lip quivered as she held back forthcoming tears.

Placing her hands over her face to get her emotions stabilized, she took a few deep breaths before looking at them again, this time with a flare of determination in her eyes. "All right," she declared, tucking hair behind her ear and wiping an eye simultaneously. "There are photos that he didn't take." Kagome glared at her husband, feeling somehow satisfied when he narrowed his eyes at her in return.

"I'll show you," she continued, her voice choked with tears. "And we'll end this." Kagome walked over to the dining room table, hearing the two men following quietly behind her. She'd show them. Her daughter was real. They would look like such fools.

Reaching out and opening the small box that sat with her scattered papers, she took out the thin strip of pictures she was looking at that morning. However, where her daughter's sunshine face used to be, was replaced with Sesshomaru and his normally calm expression.

Disbelief flitted through her eyes, not wanting to believe the lies on the paper. There had to be some explanation. How had her husband been able to change these pictures? He didn't even know where she hid them. It was so unreal, so terrifyingly wrong, that Kagome couldn't do anything but stand still, staring at the content people in the pictures.

"Kagome," Miroku spoke softly from beside her. "Let's just sit down." When she didn't respond, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and took her by the hand, leading her slowly over to the living room where they had been sitting moments ago.

It wasn't real, she told herself. Everything that Sesshomaru and Miroku was telling her was lies. These men erased Rin from within their home. However, there were other ways to show them, other ways to prove that in fact her daughter did exist at one point.

Kagome could no longer stand being in the presence of them, unable to comprehend their reasoning behind this. Without warning, she tore her hand from Miroku's grasp and ran to the front door, grabbing her purse and running outside into the cool autumn air.

"Kagome!"

She ignored the shouts of her doctor and slipped into her car.

Glancing out her window at her home, she saw Sesshomaru standing in the doorway, watching her carefully with tired eyes. Kagome slammed her foot down on the gas and the car lurched forward, propelling her away from their lies and toward a new destination.

She would prove to them that Rin Taisho existed.

V^V^V^V^V

A/N: A bit of a wait, but there's chapter three. They should be getting longer in length from here on out. Please let me know what you think and I'll try to get the next update out as soon as possible.


	4. Seeking Support

_Many thanks to Incomprehensible, enlightened-hearts-ai, Inashosetai, and hedanicree for serving as my betas._

To those I couldn't respond to:

erica: Well, I would hope that my writing improves with every story. And I'm glad you're happy with the rate of updates, because sometimes I think I may be taking way too long. Although, that happens to be the case sometimes. I'm glad you can connect to Kagome's character as well. I was hoping that writing her in such a way would help the readers better understand what she's going through … and of course, not bite my head off with all the confusion I've thrown into it. After all, Kagome's going through the same thing the readers are, which makes it easier to connect with. It's alright that you didn't review in chapter 2. Although I missed hearing what you thought about it, I understand if you didn't have the time or simply forgot. We all do that from time to time, huh? Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter just as much if not more. And as always, thanks for the awesome review. ;)

**Forgotten  
Chapter 4: Seeking Support**

Kagome opened the door and stepped inside the warmth of the building. She shuddered, relieved to be out of the cold as her eyes trailed along the interior. A dark auburn color coated the walls throughout the room, decorated sparsely with sapphire-colored furniture and maroon carpet. Bookshelves lined the walls and made aisles within the center, while people sat at wooden tables with books splayed out in front of them.

The library had always been a place of comfort for the young editor when she was stressed out or simply having a bad day. She could recall the many times she found solace within the quiet dwelling after a long afternoon of work or an upsetting argument with Sesshomaru. Rin had even accompanied her on occasion, eagerly running off to the children's section upon entering. This time, however, the library was a source of answers.

Ignoring the uninterested glances she received from the other guests, Kagome immediately made her way to the front desk. A girl stood at the counter, her eyes scanning over the computer screen. She furrowed her brows and peered up, noticing Kagome.

"I need to see some newspapers," Kagome asked quietly, cursing her voice for how broken it sounded. She must have looked like such a mess; her cheeks were undoubtedly flushed from crying, her eyes red from irritation and her hair mussed from the outside wind. "Daily papers from fourteen months ago."

The librarian, whose nametag read Eri, immediately located a clipboard with a sheet of paper on it. "You need to fill this out," she replied in a hushed tone as she handed it over.

Kagome placed her purse on top of the counter. She searched the contents of her bag for a pen, but it proved to be much more difficult than she thought. Random objects obscured her view, and she found things that must have been stored in there for months.

Damn it all.

While trying to clear out the clutter of her purse, her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

She couldn't believe that Sesshomaru, her own husband_,_ turned his back on her. In all honesty, she thought the therapy had been going quite well and that they were making some progress. What good would it do to erase Rin completely from their lives? Her death affected everyone she knew, and although Sesshomaru didn't grieve as openly, Kagome knew he had felt pain at the loss.

He was the girl's father. Surely he felt some remorse. Kagome could recall the days before her daughter's death in which Sesshomaru showed more of his emotions and caring personality. The little girl changed his cold demeanor, but after her death, his stoic façade returned.

A hand was placed over hers, and Kagome looked up, startled. It was only now that she realized a few tears had escaped and rolled freely down her cheeks.

The librarian gazed at her with concern. "What papers do you need?"

"I'm sorry," Kagome mumbled, pathetically wiping at her tears and cursing herself for losing it.

Eri smiled half-heartily and came around the front of the desk, leading Kagome to the back of the library where the computers were located. The other people in the room seemed oblivious to everything around them. However, there was one man who stood out from all the others.

He had hair as black as night that trailed down to his shoulder blades. His crimson eyes peered at her curiously and a fearsome smirk curved his lips. There was something familiar about the man, and Kagome knew she remembered him from somewhere.

"Here you go," the librarian said, startling Kagome out of her stupor. Eri motioned to one of the computers that had a search engine of articles up on the screen.

"Thank you," Kagome replied, taking a seat and quickly typing in the date. A large array of articles came upon the screen, and she quickly moved the ball-like cursor, shifting through the many dates and titles.

When she came across the exact page where the article should have been posted, the space was empty. She continued onto the next story without missing a beat. Kagome furrowed her brows in confusion as a feeling of dread built in the pit of her stomach. Triple-checking, she scrolled back and forth over the date, hoping she may have missed it.

"How could—" she mumbled in disbelief, narrowing her eyes. "How could it not be in any of these?"

"You sure of the date?" Eri asked, leaning over her shoulder to take a glimpse at the screen. Kagome nodded slowly and pursed her lips. Eri continued, "What are you trying to find?"

"_Eleven Die In Air Tragedy_," she whispered with glazed eyes. She scrolled over the cursor a final time, but when she came up empty-handed again, she abruptly stood and grabbed her purse. "I have to go."

Eri gazed after her with pity, watching the distraught woman hurriedly disappear through the library doors and round the corner out of sight.

V^V^V^V^V

The rain came down hard as Kagome drove around the city. There was no way she could return home just yet. Sesshomaru and Miroku would undoubtedly be waiting for her. Ayumi didn't get home from work until seven o'clock, which left Kagome to drive aimlessly through the flooded streets.

Everywhere she went, memories of Rin followed her. There had to be someone who remembered the happy child.

Kagome had stopped by the grade school earlier, but it was closed down for the weekend. She knew none of Rin's old classmates who lived in the area, and other children at the park didn't have a clue who she was talking about.

She didn't blame them. After all, Rin had died more than a year ago.

Parking her car along the street a block away from her house, Kagome waited impatiently, glancing at the clock every so often. Finally, after what felt like forever, she noticed the familiar car of her friend round the corner and stop farther down the street.

Kagome slung her purse over her shoulder and hurried out of her car, watching as Ayumi made her way to the front door.

"Ayumi," she called quietly from the shadows.

The woman jumped and shrieked, spinning around to face Kagome. "Shit," she breathed out. "Kagome. What are you doing in the dark? What's wrong?"

She smiled tightly at her old friend. "I had a fight with Sesshomaru," she forced out, crossing her arms over her chest to keep warm against the cool breeze.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she replied with a quirk of her head. "Come inside."

"We fought about Rin," Kagome interrupted.

Ayumi halted and peered at her with confusion. "I'm sorry. About what?"

Kagome only stared at her. "Rin," she repeated slowly, hoping it would jog her neighbor's memory.

"Rin," Ayumi echoed, glancing at Kagome's door nervously before returning her gaze to her friend. "Who's Rin, sweetie?"

"Ayumi," she choked out, on the verge of tears. "She's my daughter."

"Your daughter?" A chuckle escaped her lips.

"Ay, please," Kagome begged as desperation filtered through her voice, ignoring the small droplets that ran down her cheeks. "You knew my daughter. You babysat her a thousand times!"

Her friend took a step back, a flash of fear passing through her eyes. "Kagome, I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm saying you knew my daughter! You talked to her – you saw us come and go! You took her to the carnival and won her a stuffed animal, and she _always _slept with it!"

Ayumi placed her hand on Kagome's arm. "You're scaring me," she admitted, giving Kagome a worried glance. "Tell me what's wrong."

Kagome could only stare in disbelief as her best friend waited patiently for a response. Ayumi had forgotten Rin, too.

"Kagome?"

Kagome whipped her head up at the sound of her name to see Sesshomaru standing in the doorway. The light from within the house outlined his frame in an eerie backglow.

With tears rolling down her cheeks and a few shakes of her head, Kagome tore away from Ayumi's grasp and ran down the street, not bothering to get back in her car. She knew her husband would catch up to her before she had a chance to shift it into gear.

Not only had her therapist and Sesshomaru conjured up this little plan, but they had convinced Ayumi to get in on it, too. They must have done something with the newspapers as well. Everything had an explanation. Kagome just didn't understand the reasoning behind it.

V^V^V^V^V

It had to be past midnight. The trees rustled noisily with the breeze and the roads appeared to be deserted. The lights from the tall buildings lit up the dark sky while street lamps sent a soft glow upon wandering travelers.

Kagome wrapped her arms tightly around her torso, mentally cursing herself for leaving her coat at home. At the time, she hadn't thought about wandering the streets in the middle of the night. Her only concern had been to flee from the man who had tried to erase Rin completely.

She didn't know how long she'd been aimlessly walking around the city, but she wound up at an apartment complex that was all too familiar. Biting her lip, she reached up and rang the doorbell of apartment 502.

"_Who the hell is it?_" the scratchy, groggy voice gruffly greeted over the intercom.

Kagome peered up, hoping to catch a glimpse of his window. "It's Kagome Taisho. Kouga, please …"

There was a short pause. "_Are you gonna go away?_"

"No."

There was a loud sigh, and a minute later, the door buzzed open, allowing her entrance. She quickly barged into the apartment building, practically running up the five flights of stairs to his apartment. She knocked on his door impatiently.

When it opened, the dazed man in the doorway gave her a once-over.

"Remember me?" Kagome asked timidly, gazing into his blue-gray eyes.

"Yeah," he mumbled, stepping aside to let her in.

She crossed her arms and entered, watching as he closed the door behind her. "Who am I?" she asked.

A small smile flitted across his face as he took in her unkempt appearance. "You're in worse shape than I am."

Ignoring his dry attempt at humor, Kagome turned away and walked into the apartment, looking around the dull interior. Everything was a bland shade of white and gray. The kitchen appeared cold and unwelcoming, much like the rest of the apartment.

Kagome could feel Kouga watching her curiously as she stalked the length of the room, stopping in front of a door and flipping on the light switch. She glanced around the small office space, noting the piles of paper and old-fashion computer. A framed hockey jersey sat on the wall, along with an autographed hockey stick.

With a disapproving look, she turned off the light and made her way back to the living room where Kouga stood dumbfounded.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a scratchy voice.

"I was here once before," Kagome replied slowly, taking small steps toward him. "With my daughter. Do you remember?"

He furrowed his brows, suddenly knowing exactly the reasoning behind her visit. "You're an old fan. Is that it?"

"Oh yeah, that's right," she mumbled, smiling softly. "You were a hockey player. Ex-Wolf. Ayame was very proud of that."

Kouga shrugged and raised his glass. "Well, I'll be sure to tell Ayame I appreciate it next time I see her." His voice dripped with sarcasm as he took a swig of whiskey, his eyes glued to her.

She folded her arms once more and tilted her head to the side. "I don't follow hockey. My daughter, Rin, was an archery fan."

"Oh, archery." He rubbed the fabric of his shirt under his nose. "It's great; the only sport you don't break a sweat." He scoffed at that and turned around, venturing toward the kitchen. He lifted up an almost empty bottle of Jack and gestured with it. "You drinkin'?"

Kagome shook her head. "No, I just wanted to talk to you."

"About what?" he asked, proceeding to open the bottle and pour himself another drink.

She followed him into the kitchen, peering at him over the island counter. "Your daughter."

He looked up at her like she was a lunatic. "I don't have a daughter," he replied gruffly with furrowed brows and a shake of his head. The golden liquid splashed into his glass, causing the ice to clink against the sides.

She watched him raise it to his lips, swigging the alcohol in one gulp. "Do you get drunk every night?" she asked quietly, her eyes glazed over with unshed tears.

The unkempt man licked the liquor off his lips and averted his gaze. "No," he smirked. "Sometimes I'm drunk by noon." He moved to grasp the bottle once more, only to find it empty. He frowned and put it back on the table. "What do you want?" he demanded with annoyance.

"I had a daughter," she repeated slowly. "My daughter, Rin, and your daughter, Ayame, were friends."

He rolled his eyes and turned to walk down the hallway.

She continued with determination, "And I'd come here sometimes to drop Rin off or pick Ayame up for the movies."

"Can we talk about this after?" he interrupted, turning to look at her with tired eyes.

Her expression twisted into one of confusion. "After what?"

"After I sleep," Kouga replied with a crooked smirk.

Kagome let out an exasperated sigh and followed him to the bedroom, watching as he stumbled down the hallway sluggishly. She couldn't blame him for turning to alcohol. After all, if she didn't have her husband or her psychiatrist with her every step of the way, there wasn't a doubt in her mind she would have turned to booze for a few minutes of relief. On the other hand, she had never been big on drinking and doubted Rin would have approved of it.

"Somebody else has a daughter, you know," Kouga slurred as he sat down in bed, slowly curling up beneath the blankets. Kagome fixed the covers near the end so he was comfortable and turned off the light, letting moonlight be the only guidance. "Somebody else knows your kid."

She made her way into the bathroom, glancing over at his sleeping form from the corner of her eye.

He had turned over so his back was facing her, most likely already half-asleep. "It's not me," he assured, although his words were almost incomprehensible.

Kagome folded a towel in thirds and ran it under cold water, squeezing out the excess before shutting off the faucet and returning to his bedside. With the cool rag placed upon his forehead, Kouga sighed contently.

"That's nice," he whispered in the dark room.

She watched him silently as he turned on his back and began to drift off to sleep. She wrapped her fingers around his hand, suddenly feeling sorry for the poor man. Kouga didn't have a wife or job to keep him stable.

Convinced that the drunken man had indeed fallen into a deep, dreamless slumber, Kagome exited his room and closed the door behind her. Now that he was asleep, it would give her some time to search his office for any clues that Ayame once lived there.

Kagome flipped on the desk lamp as she entered, her eyes sweeping over the pictures on the walls. There were various pictures from Kouga's hockey days, most of them consisting of his old teammates. She had even met some at the funeral who had come to pay their respects. According to Kouga, they were usually a wily bunch of idiots who didn't know what maturity meant, much less how to act it.

Biting her lip, she turned ninety degrees to inspect the rest of the room. When her gaze fell upon the wall near the tall bookshelf, her eyes were immediately drawn to a speck of purple. She took a few steps closer and narrowed her eyes. Her thumb grazed over the area, feeling the fabric of the wall frayed near the end, exposing what was underneath.

Pulling the frayed edges as hard as she could, it tore slightly, but otherwise did not budge. A memory flashed through her mind of a purple-painted room and bright crayon drawings. Determined, Kagome stood up and pivoted on her foot, quickly storming into the kitchen.

She pulled open one of the kitchen drawers, recalling where the utensils were kept since she'd been there so many times. Finally coming across a knife, Kagome closed the drawer and returned to the office.

Jamming the utensil into the ripped portion of the wall, she separated the purple paint from the fabric-like covering. Running the sharp end of the knife upwards, the exterior panel loosened from the wall.

Kagome continued cutting between the wall and the fabric, licking her dry lips in concentration, until she almost reached the ceiling.

Coming to the top of the fabric-covering, she set down the knife on the desk and dug her nails into the long gash she had just cut. Pulling with all her might, she ground her teeth together and watched as the wall split in two.

A panel of the gray fabric pulled free and she threw it to the ground before returning to the wall. She removed a second panel, paying no heed to the pictures that were detached with it that fell to the ground with an angry crash, glass shards scattering across the floor.

Taking a step back and looking at her handiwork, a knowing smile came to Kagome's lips.

Beneath the gray interior of Kouga's office lay a purple-painted wall, decorated with an outline of an iris flower.

V^V^V^V^V

_A/N: Hope the ending scene wasn't too difficult to understand. And yes, Ayame is Kouga's daughter. Bet you didn't see that one comin', did ya? But I picture her as the little tyke he originally rescued in the anime. Otherwise, it would just be too wierd._


	5. Evasion

_Many thanks to Incomprehensible, enlightened-hearts-ai, Inashosetai, and hedanicree for serving as my betas._

To those I couldn't respond to:

erica: Oh, I just love hearing your thoughts on my chapters! I hope this one gives you a little more insight on the whole situation. However, be warned that the confusion may not come to an end until the last few updates. But I hope you enjoy the ride all the same. I haven't read that book, and although I'd love to check it out, I barely have enough time to write, let alone read. So I'm unfortunately going to have to pass on that one. As for hedanicree, I haven't had a chance to really talk to her lately. She's been on a few trips the past couple of months, and has been subjected to working 12hr shifts for the past few weeks. To be honest, I haven't had time to review her last chapter, let alone beg her for the next one. But she will update it eventually. She is very busy at the moment with her job and social life, so although you may have to wait a while for an update, I assure you she'll get around to it. Eventually …

**Forgotten  
Chapter 5: Evasion**

The sounds of traffic crept their way into his bedroom.

Kouga squinted against the invading sunlight as he slowly slipped back into consciousness. There was a familiar pounding in his head and a cotton-like dryness in his mouth as he swallowed.

Burying further into the warmth of his blankets, Kouga tried his best to ignore the approaching day. He often prayed that darkness would fall over the world and shroud him in painless slumber.

But, it was just a fantasy that plagued him in his dreams.

Considering the fact that the sun would not return back beyond the horizon, and the noisy blare of car horns below the apartment complex refused to silence, any attempts to find comfort in sleep that morning proved futile. The effects from a night of drinking didn't help matters either. They weren't an uncommon feeling, he mused. Once again, much of the night came to him in bits and pieces. However, a dark-haired woman plagued his mind. Her face seemed familiar, but he couldn't place where he had seen her before.

Groaning, the drunkard unwillingly rose from his bed, swinging his legs over the side of the mattress and gazing around blearily. The normal gray shade of his room greeted him. It seemed as though he was repeating the same day continuously. When had he last changed his routine?

Kouga yawned, scratched his head and blinked his eyes a few times to get his bearings. Luckily, he had enough sense the night before to close his curtains so the incoming light didn't impair his vision. He sniffled and rested his forearms against his thighs, taking deep breaths as he continued to rouse from sleep.

His eyes skated over the stained carpet, tracing the various smudges. He couldn't recall where half of them had come from. It was most likely from when his hockey teammates would visit and enjoy a night of television. But on the other hand, those memories seemed so far away, as if from a different lifetime.

A growl sounded from deep within his throat as he rubbed his palms over his face, not liking the direction his thoughts were taking. Perhaps if he drank a little more liquor, he would be left in peace for a while. _Yeah, _he thought, _that's the solution_.

Before he could stand up and sluggishly make his way toward the Jack Daniels he had stored under the bathroom sink, a strange object caught his attention. Lying on the floor was an old washcloth from his bathroom. It was still damp as he picked it up, gazing at it curiously. He couldn't remember ever using a cool rag before sleep. So why was it there?

Tossing it aside and chalking it up to forgetfulness, the ex-hockey player finally stood and walked toward the adjoining room. However, as he stepped past the door, a sound caught his attention. It resounded like metal scraping against metal, but it was light and almost soft. A single brow rose. _What the hell is that?_

Deciding the booze could wait until after his curiosity was satisfied, Kouga ambled out into the apartment. His dull blue eyes were cautiously aware of every movement. Did someone break in? Maybe it was some fan that was obsessed with his old hockey career.

The living room curtains had been drawn, too, causing him to shield his eyes against the intruding sunlight. What he saw in the kitchen baffled him, effectively stopping him in his tracks, leaving him to sway lazily from side to side.

There stood the woman from his memories. Her long, dark hair shifted angelically with her movements. Her back was to hi as she stood over the stove, her arm stirring something in a frantic manner. When she turned slightly to the side to set down the bowl and pick up another utensil, he saw that she had been whisking eggs.

So that had been the sound keeping him from his liquor …

Kouga peered around the living room, looking for anything else that might be out of place. He may not have remembered much of the night leading up to today, but never had he woken to a woman in his apartment, let alone one making him breakfast. Hundreds of scenarios ran through his head as to how this could have happened, but he settled on one.

"Did we get married?" he called out to the young woman with a confused expression. He unconsciously scratched the side of his face.

She sent him a look over her shoulder, but otherwise did not acknowledge his presence.

"It's not me," she stated after a moment, ignoring his question altogether. "It's you. It's Sesshomaru." She continued to move about the small kitchen area, creating some sort of concoction out of all the pots and pans littering the stove.

Kouga faintly recalled the woman's name.

"I don't know who else, or what else," she continued without pause. "I don't know anything. I don't know why it's not in the papers. It's not me; I'm not insane."

He watched as she set down a plate filled with scrambled eggs and sausage links on the island counter, placing a cup of black coffee beside it. She bit her lip, watching his expression carefully. Judging by her hopeful expression and hesitancy to approach him, he assumed they had spoken the night before. However, he recalled very little of their conversation.

Glancing over at his office space, she gestured with her hand. "Go look in your office. It used to be your daughter's room."

Kouga merely stood there in a daze, hardly able to keep up with the frantic woman as she moved about the apartment, let alone comprehend all that she mumbled. With a huff, Kagome walked around the counter and into the office, forcing Kouga to follow her sluggishly.

She opened the door and gestured around the room. "You let her draw on it," she pointed out with a smile, grazing her hands over the various crayon pictures coloring the walls. "These are her drawings."

Suddenly, the ex-hockey player found himself wide awake as he gazed around what used to be his office. The fabric-like covering of the walls were thrown to the ground in a heap. A purple paint was splashed on the wall, accompanied by various pictures drawn by a child. A rainbow and a moon sat over what appeared to be a river; a large iris graced almost the entire left wall; and a poorly-drawn tree sat in the corner.

"What the hell did you do?" he demanded sharply, completely baffled by the woman. What gave her the right to destroy his office?

Kagome's smile faltered for a moment. "She was showing Rin her room. I was there," she continued. Gesturing toward the iris picture, she waved her hands. "Her bed was here, against the wall, like this." She turned toward the lunar rainbow. "Her desk was over here, and she had pictures from magazines collaged like that." Trailing her fingers over the wall, she turned around and smiled at the hung-over man.

"You're lying," Kouga replied half-heartily, grinding his teeth in aggravation. He gave up a morning of drinking to listen to a crazed lady go on about a kid, who never existed.

"This was her room," she persuaded. "This was your daughter's room."

Patience wearing thin, Kouga felt something inside him snap. "Somebody lived here before me!" he roared. He ignored the pounding in his head from the sound. "They papered over their kid's room!"

"No," she denied, shaking her head gently.

He growled and glared at her before turning around. "I'm calling the cops." He had about enough of her babble.

"No, wait!" she called, running around him and grasping his arm, blocking the only exit from the room. "We were there," she said, her voice quivering. "At the awful funerals. Don't you remember?" He tore his arm from her grasp and stepped back into the room, feeling anger ignite within him. "you and me and your ex-wife and my husband—"

"Get out!" he shouted, taking a step toward her and pointing to the doorway.

She stood her ground, putting her hands up in a defensive manner. "I remember—I remember that you seemed much more upset than your wife. She was kind of like my husband, she held it all in. But you and I—"

He shook his head and grasped a hold of her arms. "Listen," he interrupted, looking her straight in the eyes. "We have never met at a funeral. I don't know your daughter." He paused. "Hell, I don't even know you."

Kagome ignored his attempts of persuasion. "Ayame and Rin were friends. We put them on a plane together to go to camp, and we lost them. They died more than a year ago."

Kouga shook his head and pulled her in the direction of the door. "Come on …"

"You weren't drinking then!" she suddenly shouted.

The hung-over man stopped all movement and took a step back, peering at her with confused eyes. Silence permeated the air as her words sunk in.

"How do you know that?" he asked, his voice much softer and filled with curiosity.

She pursed her lips. "I met you." Her dark hair shifted as she quirked her head, shaking it slightly and crossing her arms over her chest. "You weren't like this. It was about fourteen months ago you started drinking, wasn't it?"

Kouga stared at her with a hard and even glare, clenching his jaw tightly. Her words left him speechless. There was no way to deny the truth, for it was indeed fourteen months ago he had begun living in a drunken stupor, but for the life of him he could not recall the reason why.

How had this strange woman not only pinpointed the exact time period in which whiskey became his best friend, but also gave him a theory as to why it began in the first place?

Kagome nodded her head at his silence, already knowing the answer, but wanting to hear him say it.

"Wasn't it?" she asked more forcefully as he averted his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. "That's when Ayame died."

The woman's words and illusions almost persuaded the ex-hockey player to believe her lies. A part of him wanted to know the reason behind his alcoholism, and losing a child seemed to be a likely option. But, a startling realization brought him back to earth as reality crashed around him.

"I never had a kid!" he stated in a loud voice, persuading not only her but himself.

"You remembered her before this," Kagome replied, her resolve never wavering. "Everybody remembered our children and then something happened in the last couple of weeks. I don't know, but our children have been forgotten."

Tired of Kagome's little tirade, Kouga made his way to the door. "That's it, let's go," he grumbled with a hint of exhaustion. Grasping her arm, he made to pull her toward the living room. "Come on!"

"No, no!" she yelled, pulling free and turning around, facing him with a defiant glare. Her brows furrowed with determination and the tears beginning to slide down her cheeks spoke of frustration. "Say her name, and I'll go! I say Rin's name everyday!" Kagome threw her hands to her side, swallowing against the aching in her throat. "Just say it, so you can hear it," she stated quietly, her voice a mere whisper now. "Ay-am-e."

Kouga continued to watch the woman with an unwavering gaze. She was obviously delusional. However, her fierce determination and persistence brought forth buried feelings. Kagome must hav gone through something tragic enough to break her mentality and force false perceptions to cloud her vision. The ex-hockey player may favor drinking over reality any day, but that didn't mean he had lost a daughter.

Although the cause of his horrid habit was unknown, Kouga was sure he would remember a little girl if he had indeed been a father at some point in his life.

Kagome didn't seem to be the kind of woman to listen to reason, or give up so easily. Clenching his jaw, he did as she asked.

"Ayame." The name rolled off his tongue easily and held a familiar ring to it, but nothing else.

"Now look around again," Kagome directed, crossing her arms.

Releasing a sigh, Kouga contemplated simply walking out the door, but he knew she would either chase after him or show up at his doorstep in the days that followed. Almost scared to do as she said, he took a deep breath and allowed his eyes to wander the purple-painted room, tracing his gaze over the crayon drawings.

An intense silence passed as Kagome waited patiently, allowing Kouga ample time to let everything sink in. His blue-gray eyes flickered with unknown emotions that she couldn't quite place before he set his gaze on her once more. "She was here," Kagome whispered, feeling as if she were walking a thin line. "She lived here."

Kouga shifted his stance and glanced around the room once more before turning to leave. "I need a minute."

Kagome took a step forward, her hand reaching for the grieving father. "Tell me if—"

He sent a cold glare her way, causing her to stop in her tracks. "I need a minute," he growled dangerously.

Biting her lip, the young editor nodded slightly and looked at the ground, tucking hair behind her ear. When his footsteps faded into the rest of the apartment, she raised her eyes to let them wander over the crayon drawings, swiping at her tear-stained cheeks.

V^V^V^V^V

Kagome curled her hands tighter around a warm cup of coffee, watching the dark liquid stir with her slight movements. She had been sitting on the living room couch for some time, simply staring off into space as she waited for Kouga's return.

The ex-athlete had disappeared after he had walked through the door and out of her line of vision, and though the apartment was small enough for there to be few hiding spots, Kagome didn't have the strength to go looking for him.

With a resigned sigh, she had set about making a cup of coffee. Kagome tried not to fidget as she waited for the man to reappear. With yet another sigh, she crossed the room and sat down to nurse the mug of warm liquid.

She couldn't say the thought of him never coming back hadn't crossed her mind. However, mere seconds passed before Kouga ambled dejectedly from his bedroom.

She smiled softly at him and stood upon his arrival. "Do you want some coffee?" she asked.

Kouga's blue-gray eyes glanced around the room before settling on her face. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans before shaking his head in response. "No, thanks."

She merely nodded and sat back down, watching as he followed suit on the couch adjacent to the one she occupied. He leaned forward and pressed his forearms to his thighs, wringing his hands together.

"I know this is difficult," Kagome said, tilting her head and giving him an understanding smile. "How much do you remember?"

His gaze rose from the hardwood floor and he peered at her, guilt filling his eyes.

He opened his mouth to respond, but the harsh buzzing of the doorbell interrupted them. With a sigh, he stood up and slowly walked to the door. Before opening it, he turned around and looked at her with a remorse-filled gaze. "I called the police," he admitted guiltily.

Kagome stared at him in shock. She truly believed he had remembered his daughter, that she was no longer alone in the strange, uphill battle she was fighting. Kouga's reaction to the drawings in his office led her to believe that he indeed did know who Ayame was and everything that had happened. When he had disappeared, a false hope had built in her chest, and now he was throwing it back in her face.

He shook his head slightly. "You need some help. I never had a kid." He cleared his throat. "I'm really sorry."

The door buzzed again and Kouga turned to open it, allowing two uniformed police officers to enter. "Is that her, Mr. Ookami?" one of them asked, eyeing the woman sitting alone on the couch.

"Yeah," Kouga mumbled. He stood back and watched as the officers gently pried her from the couch and pulled her hands behind her back, fastening handcuffs around her wrists.

Kagome didn't struggle as she was led out into the hallway, hanging her head in defeat. Her eyes glistened with tears. She knew what was to become of her. After Sesshomaru and Miroku got wind of her little adventures, she would be placed immediately in an insane asylum until she was deemed cured. Rin would be lost forever.

"One second," Kouga called, causing the officers to halt in their tracks. He peered at Kagome, wanting to help the poor woman, who seemed so broken. "It's the best thing," he assured with a half-shrug.

Kagome tilted her head and gave him a sad smile. "They say I dreamed it all," she replied in a soft tone. "Do you think I dreamed it?"

Kouga nodded ever so slightly, causing her eyes to darken considerably.

"We have to go," one of the police officers said, interrupting their exchange and pulling gently on Kagome's arm. With a sigh, she turned around and continued the descent down the five flights of stairs to the ground floor.

The sound of traffic immediately greeted them upon their entrance to the outside world, and Kagome found her gaze drifting over the various cars and people that littered the street. How long would she have before she wasn't allowed to see the outside anymore?

All the fight had left her, though. There was nothing else she could think of to prove that Rin did, in fact, exist. She had her memories, but it hardly counted as sufficient evidence. Kagome was alone in the world. She had to accept that.

Two men sauntered up to them, causing the uniformed officers to stop in their tracks. One placed his hand on his gun in defense, ready to cause harm should there be any need.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," one of the men said, his head covered by a bandana. He was dressed in plain clothes and a brown overcoat, sending Kagome a steely glare. "Name's Ren Kotsu and this is my partner Jak. National Security Agents. We're taking custody of Mrs. Taisho."

"Can I see some identification?" the officer that held her cuffs spoke.

The bald man held up an ID card, not looking away from Kagome's face. "Check with captain Bank. He'll verify."

Kagome glanced between the newcomers, fear finding its way into her heart. Her eyes settled on Ren's partner. She traced her gaze over the feminine facial features. His dark hair was up in a ponytail and he was peering at her with absolute disgust, more so than his partner.

She didn't like them. There was something about the two men that had her stomach churning in knots. She prayed to the heavens that the police officers weren't about to hand her over. There was no telling what they would do.

V^V^V^V^V

Kouga sighed deeply as he shut the door behind him, listening as the officers' footsteps faded down the hallway. He felt bad for Kagome. She seemed so lost and alone that he couldn't help but want to reach out to her. Besides, if she didn't have that sad expression all the time, she could be really pretty.

Shaking his head angrily, he scowled and stomped into the kitchen. Damn woman and all her nonsense. It screwed up his whole day.

He would have already been in a drunken haze and stumbling around his apartment if she hadn't decided to go bat-shit crazy on him. He supposed he would have to double up the alcohol per shot if he wanted to catch up.

Taking out an unopened bottle, the ex-hockey player moved to pour the first drink. But before h could get the bottle opener, his eyes were drawn down the hallway toward his office. Kagome's evidence of disruption still lay in ruins on his floor.

He ground his teeth and set down his glass, making his way to his office to survey the mess. He'd have to schedule an appointment with someone to redo the room. "Possibly later this week," he mused out loud. "But, I need a buzz going before I even try to think about that."

Pushing open the door to the room, he peered around with a disinterest look, glancing over the many pictures coloring the walls. His eyes stopped on the purple iris. It looked familiar, now that he thought about it, and he squinted his eyes, trying to remember.

_A little girl with red pigtails was coloring the wall. Her purple crayon moved quickly over the drawing as she darkened the shade. Hearing someone enter the room, she turned around and flashed a brilliant smile. "Hi, daddy!"_

Kouga grunted unattractively as a flash of something—a thought? A hallucination? A memory?—tickled the back of his eyeballs. As if he was sucker punched, the shock of it all hit him hard, causing him to lose his breath as yet another image of the child flickered to life behind his eyes like a bad rendition of a flash film.

_She peered up at him from where she sat at her computer desk. Music pounded loudly through the speakers and she smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, dad," she apologized, standing up in an old hockey jersey and quickly walking over to her stereo to turn down the volume._

He chuckled wryly, smiling sardonically as the shock wore off and he welcomed the memories.

_Ayame turned around, her red hair in a braid down her back. She held up two dresses. One was green and the other white. She gazed at them intently before holding them up to frame, her eyes set with question. "Which one do you think I should wear, Daddy?"_

For the first time in fourteen months, Kouga felt tears build in his eyes as he recalled the fiery young girl he had raised from birth. Her emerald eyes always shone with delight and darkened when she was angry. Ayame always had been spirited about what she loved and never let anyone stand in her way.

His little girl, his _daughter_, had been here. Her laughter rang in his ears and suddenly he could remember every little detail of her life—from the day she was born until the day of her death. He knew everything about her. Ayame Ookami had been his daughter and had died fourteen months ago. It was the reason he started drinking, because life without her hurt too much otherwise. Which only meant one thing.

Everything Kagome Taisho had been saying had been true.

Swiping at his eyes, Kouga didn't waste any time in throwing on his jacket and running out of the apartment. He practically jumped down the flight of stairs and rushed out into the cool autumn air.

"Wait!" he yelled as the police car drove past. "Wait!" Running as fast as his legs would allow, he managed to catch up to them and stuck his head through the driver's window, causing him to stop. The back seat was empty. "Where is she?"

Bewildered by the sudden change in Mr. Ookami's attitude, the officer could only point behind him. "The feds have her."

Kouga ignored the sound of the police car as it sped off, instead concentrating on the black car slowly coming to where he stood. Standing in the middle of the road, the ex-hockey player held out his hand. "Stop," he called, catching Kagome's gaze from the back seat. Immediately, Jak put the car in park and both men exited the vehicle. "You gotta let her go."

"Mr. Ookami, step back," Ren warned.

"You don't understand," Kouga said, pushing passed the man and shoving his head through the back window. "Kagome—"

Jak pulled Kouga from the door, intent on throwing him to the ground.

"Get off!" he yelled, throwing his elbow back and hitting the federal agent in the stomach. Having a moment to catch his breath, he shoved his head through the window once more, staring Kagome straight in the eyes. "I remember. I remember!"

Four arms latched onto him and tried to yank him from the car.

"Get away from the vehicle now!" Ren ordered in a strict tone. "Get him off the car!"

Following his superior's orders, Jak did as he was told and both men used all their strength to pull Kouga from the car and onto the sidewalk.

"I remember!" he shouted again, hoping Kagome could hear his confession. "Get off me! She's right!"

Kagome pulled desperately on the door handle, but the door wouldn't budge. It was locked, and since a heavy wrought iron plate separated the front of the car from where she sat, there was no way she could unlock it.

Adrenaline coursing through his veins, Kouga managed to find the strength to kick upward and smash the window on the drivers' side. The glass shattered into thousands of pieces as Kouga rounded on the men, shoving his back up against the car in order to gain leeway.

"Grab his hands!" Ren ordered.

Struggling against the men, Kouga reached inside the car window and grasped a firm hold of the handle.

"Run!" he shouted, managing to flip his thumb and unlock the back doors.

Kagome pushed against the door, feeling it give way as a rush of chilly air hit her face.

"What the hell are you doing? Run!" she heard Kouga shout from behind her. She took off as soon as her feet touched the ground and felt the wind whip through her hair as she ran at an alarming pace.

Although Kouga fought against the men for a few minutes, the punch Ren threw to his gut had the ex-hockey player reeling over from the impact. He was shoved into Jak's care as the superior officer ran after their escaping criminal.

"Run!" Kouga wheezed again before his arm was bent backwards behind him. Fingers entangled in his hair and pulled his head back, causing a groan of pain to escape. He glared back at his captor.

"How dare you let that little bitch escape?" Jak growled, digging his hand further into Kouga's hair. "You'll pay dearly for that, you ugly excuse for a man!"

He raised an eyebrow in confusion, a bit unsettled by the federal agent's choice of words. "Oh, yeah?" Kouga taunted. In one swift motion, he threw his head back and made contact with Jak's forehead, resulting in a sickening crack.

As soon as Jak's grip loosened around his arm, Kouga twisted around and broke free, immediately shoving the officer to the ground and making a run for it. He disappeared down an alleyway in the opposite direction Kagome had gone.

Meanwhile, the loud clacking of her shoes against the pavement was Kagome's only companion as she raced through the city streets, dodging faceless people and street vendors in her haste to get away from what had just transpired.

The beating of her heart pounded in her ears as the sounds of traffic flew by her. She gasped for air in short, raspy breaths as she tried desperately to even her breathing.

Sounds of a struggle could be heard behind her, but she had no time to dwell on what happened to Kouga, much less help him. Stealing a glimpse over her shoulder, she caught sight of Ren dashing after her. Spinning forward once more, she steeled her resolve and pushed her legs to move faster, feeling the burn with each step.

In an attempt to avoid his clutches, she flung open a door to a supermarket and ran inside, pushing past a young woman as she grumbled some kind of profanity.

Rows upon rows of fresh produce and vegetables surrounded Kagome, but she paid no heed to the curious glances from shoppers and cashiers alike.

She wove in and out of the aisles, not daring to look back to see if Ren was still following. The screams of customers as they were pushed aside and the steady beat of footsteps behind her were proof enough.

Seeing a read exit sign, Kagome hastened her stride and pushed through the door into the storage room beyond. Darkness enveloped her except for the light coming from the end of the tunnel, and the thin beams of artificial light lining the walls. Her chest began to hurt and her side ached from running for so long. Sitting behind a computer for most days working on editorial projects had done nothing to build up her stamina.

A grunt of discomfort sounded from behind her, and she stole a glance over her shoulder to see that Ren had been delayed by one of the workers, who had walked right into his path. Turning her frightened agate gaze forward once more, she worked to try and even out her breathing as she came closer to the light.

Workers dodged the frantic woman, allowing her a path to the outside. As soon as she reached the end of the dark tunnel, she found there was a steep ledge. Without hesitation, Kagome jumped off the step and landed with a clumsy thump, falling to her knees. Her hair whipped around her as she dared to peer behind her once more, seeing nothing but curious workers staring back at her.

However, she wasted no time pushing herself off the ground (thankful the feds didn't bother cuffing her) and running out of the alleyway and into the bustling city streets. Steering down a narrow side street, barely big enough for Kagome to fit through, she pumped her arms and legs faster. They burned with an intensity she had never felt before, and her chest ached with distorted breaths.

Fear caused her limbs to keep mobile, and to keep her desperation for life alive. Coming to the end of the byway, she immediately took off to the left and threw her back against the wall, listening to the sounds around her.

Car horns echoed in the distance and paper crinkled as it rolled across the ground in the cool breeze. Kagome bent over and pressed her hands against her knees, allowing her lungs to fill with much-needed oxygen. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly as she slowly felt the burn in her side and legs begin to ebb away.

She had lost her pursuer. No longer could she hear the footsteps that had trailed behind her for the past few minutes.

Leaning her head back against the brick building behind her, Kagome glanced up at the cloudy sky. Strangely, the clouds began to spin in a funnel-like fashion, almost reaching out to where she stood, but as soon as it had appeared, it was gone without a trace. She blinked, second guessing herself and wondering if she had even seen it in the first place.

She rubbed her eyes, just noticing the few tears that had escaped due to irritation from the wind. Stealing a final glance at the sky, Kagome shook her head and began walking in the direction of the park. Although the clouds were a bit peculiar, she had more important things to do. With her and Kouga split-up, her stomach churned as to what could have happened to the ex-hockey player.

Praying he had made it out of the feds' clutches, she quickened her pace. If she were to get out of this mess unscathed, she had to find him.

V^V^V^V^V

_A/N: For all of those who are reading SBT, sorry for updating this first. My editor recently got back to me last night with the edited chapter, and I didn't want to bother waiting until the next update for SBT was ready before posting. I will say that the next chapter of SBT should be out soon, as I just have to make a few tweaks to the end and give it a good edit. So keep your eyes peeled. _

_I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think. _


	6. Chasing Theories

_Many thanks to enlightened-hearts-ai for serving as my beta._

_Due to the fact that this chapter was not edited as thoroughly as usual, please dismiss any grammar errors and off-sentences. I was sick the last couple of days as well, so I wasn't able to go over it as much as I would have liked._

**Forgotten  
Chapter 6: Chasing Theories**

There was a reason why Sango Taijiya was the youngest person in the history of the department to make Lieutenant. Usually, one would have to wait years to be granted such a high-ranking position, but she was a strong-willed woman who never backed down from a case. It was because of her perseverance that she was able to solve every case that found her desk and put every criminal she encountered behind bars.

However, the opinions of her coworkers weren't as sterling as her record. Most others would describe her using terms such as stubborn and a hard ass, but Sango simply brushed off the hard stares of her fellow officers. She was not afraid of them and refused to bow down to them; knowing her methods would get the job done.

But there was something else that made her journey worthwhile.

Even though she was proud of the person she had become, her heart clenched each time she thought about the broken road that led her there. Her agate eyes flickered over the young man leaning against the doorframe of her office, his innocent and kind eyes glancing over a file folder in his hands.

"Kohaku," she addressed him. He looked up at her in acknowledgement. "Do you have the information regarding Mr. Ookami's complaints?"

"Yeah," he replied, searching through the folder in his hand for the documentation she requested. "Here you go, Sis."

She smiled and took the papers from his hands, letting her eyes linger on him briefly before returning to work.

Just that morning, a Mr. Kouga Ookami had filed a complaint against a woman who had broken into his apartment, rambling about a child who never existed. It was a small case, and could simply be chalked up to insanity on the woman's behalf, but something pulled at the lieutenant. The case sounded far too familiar to be coincidental. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to look into it. If the woman turned out to be crazy, then there was no harm done.

Sango tore her gaze away from her work at the sound of approaching footsteps. A man with silver hair appeared in her doorway, his calculating amber eyes peering disdainfully over her cluttered desktop.

"Lieutenant," he greeted in a cold tone.

She fixed a hard stare and returned the same formidable treatment. Kohaku closed the folder he had been looking through and stepped aside with curious eyes.

"Mr. Taisho," Sango replied, recognizing him from a Business Weekly magazine. He was a well-known and proud businessman who had taken over his father's company after his untimely death. The brunette gestured to the chair in front of her desk.

The familiar thrum of her heart took hold as she hid her eagerness. No matter the case or lack of evidence, Sango always managed to find the truth. She lived off the pure adrenaline it fed her, and with Mr. Taisho's appearance, her body hummed with the thrill to get the case underway.

Sesshomaru took a seat opposite her and crossed one leg over the other, looking at her with disinterest. "I was sent for with no explanation. Care to enlighten me?"

Kohaku swung the door shut, closing out the bustling activity of the police station and shouts from various small-time criminals. While taking up post near the doorframe, he set the file on the edge of his sister's desk before shoving his hands into his pockets.

Sango turned toward her computer screen and brought up a database search engine. "What is your wife's name, Mr. Taisho?" she asked.

"Kagome," he stated in the same stoic voice.

"Ka-go-me," the lieutenant breathed slowly in return as she typed in the name.

A thorough background check popped up on the screen, listing Kagome's employment, family tree, and medical history. Nothing appeared out of sorts or alarming. Oddly enough, it looked rather normal.

Sango turned and eyed the man across from her, watching as he scrutinized her with a curious stare. His unusual hair color shimmered under the dull lights overhead and his eyes were cast in shadow.

"I see that your wife is currently seeing a psychiatrist," Sango mused, receiving narrowed eyes in return. "May I ask why?"

"I don't believe that is your concern." He gripped the arm rests of the chair. "Lieutenant Taijiya, the woman on the phone informed me there was a complaint against Kagome."

"She trashed someone's apartment and wouldn't leave," Kohaku spoke up timidly.

Sesshomaru stole a glance behind him at the younger man. "Who?" he demanded. "Whose apartment?"

Sango folded her arms and leaned on her desk, giving the business man her full attention. "Kouga Ookami," she replied. "Do you know him?"

He narrowed his eyes. "No."

"Ex-Wolf," Sango's young partner stated, interjecting in the conversation once again. "Left-wing. Pretty good."

A low, growl-like sounded emitted from Sesshomaru's throat. "I demand to know what he has to do with my wife."

The lieutenant sighed. "Kagome was claiming her daughter was missing and dead."

Sesshomaru closed his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose. "We never had a daughter," he assured.

She furrowed her brows and cocked her head. "Why would she say that then?"

"Do you not understand? My wife is delusional. She needs help." He stood up in a threatening manner. "Where is she?"

"Sit down, Mr. Taisho," Kohaku demanded, taking a step forward.

Sesshomaru's gaze never wavered from the young woman behind the desk. Sango glanced at the computer screen before returning her attention back to the man standing in front of her. "She was turned over to federal agents and fled custody," she informed. "Mr. Taisho, why would the NSA be interested in your wife?"

"You're asking me?" he inquired, sitting down once more.

"They don't care about anybody's apartment," the brunette reasoned with a wave of her hand. "And they don't trace missing children."

Infuriated by the round-about questions, Sesshomaru snapped. "There was never a child!" he roared , emitting a spark of emotion for the first time since he arrived.

Lieutenant Taijiya leaned back in her chair and exchanged a look with her brother, reading the same expression in his eyes. There was more to the story than it appeared, and they were going to get to the bottom of it.

V^V^V^V^V

The wind howled around Kagome as she slowly walked down the pathway along the side of the bridge. Cars zoomed past her as she wrapped her arms securely around her, hugging the fabric of her sweater closer to her chest. She bit her lip to ward off the trembling as her thoughts ran through the events that had brought her to this point.

There had to be much more to this whole dilemma than there appeared to be. First there was Rin, her daughter, who had suddenly been forgotten by everyone close to her. Recalling the facial features and words spoken by her husband, psychiatrist, and friend, Kagome couldn't help but doubt that this whole thing was a plan they conducted. Their words were so solid and utterly believable, that uncertainty began to linger.

Although, it did not sway her decision that Rin had indeed existed and the memories she knew were real. But it only brought about even more confusion. If it had not been some twisted plan, then how was it possible for everyone to forget Rin?

Furthermore, what about Kouga? Even though he had forgotten Ayame for some time, simply uttering her name brought back memories of her full-force. So how did she explain that one? Obviously, they were victims of some sick game. There was no other explanation.

It backed up the theory with the feds chasing her. There was no reason for them to want her in their custody. She was just a grieving mother trying to find the truth concerning her daughter's death. If her own husband, Rin's _father_, couldn't remember her …

Childish laughter rang in her ears, breaking her train of thought. Kagome stopped walking and peered through the wire fencing that separated her from the water below. Across the river, on the other side of the bank, she noticed the playground she frequently visited nestled within a cluster of trees.

Her hair blew softly around her face as she stared at the children, watching them run around and play on the jungle gym, caught up in their fantasy games. With a shuddered breath, she wrapped her fingers around the fence and allowed memories to fill her mind.

"_Do what they say, alright?" she told Rin with a smile. _

_The little girl grinned and heaved her backpack more securely over her shoulders. "Okay," she replied, her eyes shining with excitement. "I love you, mama!"_

_Kagome wrapped her securely in an embrace, placing a kiss against her cheek. Peering over her daughter's shoulder, she caught sight of Kouga and Ayame a few feet away, saying their farewells. _

"_I'm gonna miss you, kiddo," he said. _

_They pounded their knuckles and he laughed as Ayame smiled brightly, embracing her dad a final time. "Bye, dad."_

"_Bye," he replied, wrapping his arms around her. _

_Kagome released her daughter and pushed her in the direction of the plane. "Have fun." _

_Shouts of goodbye filled the air as other children said farewell to their parents before boarding the plane. She kept her eyes trained on the little girl with ebony hair, practically skipping with delight. _

"_Rin!" Kagome called. _

_The little girl turned around, seeing her mother standing behind the gates with a smile. "Yeah?"_

"_See you!" _

_Rin cocked her head with a smile and sent a wave over her shoulder. "See you!"_

Kagome stepped out of her reverie and blinked away the tears. Her daughter's final words echoed in her ears and she could almost feel the child's small arms around her. It was so familiar; she felt an ache rise in her chest. But she welcomed the feeling, knowing that Rin was still alive.

At least in her memories.

V^V^V^V^V

The night-time breeze caressed the old playground, causing woodchips to dance across the ground. Leaves twirled along the pavement as the branches overhead shielded Kagome from the wind. She had been standing in the same place for over an hour, peering through the trees at the swing set.

Finally, she breathed a sigh of relief as a lone figure walked pass the chain-link fence and happened upon the swings. He took the middle seat and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket, glancing around in waiting.

Kouga looked up at the sound of Kagome's approach as she stepped out of the darkness of the trees.

"I was hoping you'd come here," Kagome greeted as the breeze tussled her hair across her face.

He smiled at her. "Me, too."

Kagome took a seat on the swing beside him, idly swinging back and forth, the chains creaking with her movements.

Kouga stared at her intensely before dropping his smile and averting his gaze, looking out at the playground. "I don't understand it," he confessed with a somber expression. "I-I keep thinkin' I'm crazy, you know?"

The dark-haired woman peered at him with understanding, meeting his eyes, which had returned to the blue depths she knew so well.

"How could I forget her? My little girl. How—?" He shook his head and sighed with frustration. "I can't do this."

Kagome pushed herself closer to him and placed a hand on his arm. "You have to," she whispered. "Because I can't do this alone."

His eyes searched hers for an answer she couldn't give him, before his lips turned into a lopsided grin, seeming more at ease with her words. Turning his gaze back to the playground, Kouga listened to the howl of the wind as it picked up, causing a bad feeling to form in the pit of his stomach. "Come on," he said, standing up and taking her arm. "We shouldn't hang around here."

She complied and the two began their trek across the playground, the woodchips crunching beneath their feet.

"My grandfather used to tell me stories," Kagome said after a moment of silence. "About mystical creatures that lived centuries ago called demons. They had abilities beyond our imagination: Controlling the wind, creating illusions, taking away memories …"

Kouga shot her a puzzled look. "What does that have to do with anything?"

She bit her lip in thought. "What if they weren't just stories?"

"What?" he said with furrowed brows.

Throwing her head back, she closed her eyes in a silent plea. "Please don't think I'm out of my mind," she begged.

"I don't anymore," he assured. "If you know something, you have to tell me."

"First, I thought it had to do with the plane crash," Kagome explained, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Remember when that flight carrying those ancient artifacts crashed over the Pacific and everybody thought it was friendly fire? Some government cover-up …"

"Yeah, I remember that," he replied with a curt nod of his head.

"But then I thought, you know, how could the government erase our memories? It's just _not _possible. It's so— "Glancing over at her companion, Kagome was met with his intense gaze. She sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. "Do you ever feel like somebody … something's watching you?" she asked, stealing a hesitant look at him.

Kouga watched her carefully. "Like surveillance?"

"No," she huffed with frustration. "I mean, sometimes people are …" She paused as she searched for the right word. "Taken. We hear that."

Completely baffled by what she was saying, Kouga stopped walking and looked her dead in the eyes. "What are you talking about?"

She turned around to face him and simply stated, "Abduction."

Kouga chuckled, but when she showed no signs of sarcasm or humor in her expression, his smile dropped. "You're freaking me out," he admitted, failing to wrap his mind around her reasoning. "Are you trying to tell me that some fairytale monsters are out to get us? That's fucking insane!"

Shaking her head, Kagome steeled her resolve. "Listen to me. What do we know? We both had daughters, they had lives, they died, and everyone, _besides us_, believes they never existed. What could do something like that?"

He shook his head with disbelief. "No, there's gotta be another explanation."

"Who could erase our kids?" Kagome demanded, standing her ground. "Every-every pictures of them gone. Every newspaper article gone. Every memory _gone_. No agents, no government. Who could do that?"

Kouga was silent for a moment, seriously contemplating her words. He finally shook his head. "I don't know."

Although her words sounded crazy, with all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, her theory seemed more believable with every passing moment. This had to be much bigger than they first anticipated. It was greater than them, greater than the government, and possibly greater than humans' very existence.

V^V^V^V^V

The street was oddly deserted that night as Kouga and Kagome drove aimlessly through the city. The dark-haired woman wearily glanced at the digital numbers on the dashboards, noting it was after one o'clock in the morning. Her eyes burned with lack of sleep and she slowly felt exhaustion creep up on her.

"I never knew you could hotwire a car," Kagome mused as she peered at the driver out of the corner of her eye. "Don't you think they'll be missing it?"

"We need to find a hotel," Kouga said ignoring her. "You got any cash?"

She rolled her eyes at his evasive response to her question. "No, not much," she replied. "I have some credit cards."

"Forget it. Clerk runs your card, and they got us." He peered over at her skeptically. "Don't you watch TV?"

Kagome shook her head and ran a hand over her face. "I read."

"Damn snob," he grumbled with a smirk.

Offended by his comment, she turned to glare t him. "No, damn editor. Why are you so pissed at me?"

Before he could respond, blinding light glared through the passenger window just as a car crashed into the side of them. They were thrown to the left as glass shattered upon impact, causing a loud crash to echo through the night. Kagome's body jerked to the side, restrained only by her seatbelt, and her head snapped with whiplash.

Kouga slammed on the breaks until the car came to a complete stop in the middle of a deserted intersection. He peered out the passenger window to see who had struck them, only to be blinded by the other car's headlights.

"You okay?" he asked as his gaze landed on Kagome.

She groggily looked up at him while holding her head where it had hit the back of her seat. "I'm fine," she mumbled, sweeping strands of her dark hair out of her face as she tried to get her bearings.

"NSA! We need to talk to you!" a man shouted from the other car.

Kagome immediately pulled against the handle to escape, but the door wouldn't budge. "Kouga, my door!" she called desperately.

He scrambled out of the car through the drivers' side and motioned for her to follow him. Kagome quickly climbed over the seats and as soon as her feet touched the ground, the two broke out into a run.

"Stay by the car!" a second man demanded, quickly exiting the vehicle behind his partner.

Kagome ignored their yells of protest, feeling Kouga's hand on the small of her back, urging her to run faster. Two pairs of footsteps followed after them, pressing the fugitives to keep running. They hadn't eaten or slept in well over twenty-four hours save for coffee earlier that day. They were running on pure adrenaline.

Kouga shot ahead of Kagome as they ran down a narrow side street of an abandoned construction zone. She was barely able to follow him through the darkened corridor as she watched his leather jacket glint from the moonlight shining around the buildings.

Her breath came in quick, raspy inhales as she pumped her arms and legs, feeling the wind whip past her as she followed Kouga around several corners, trying to lose their pursuers. Two more pairs of footsteps had coupled with their followers, causing the fear in Kagome's stomach to intensify ten-fold.

They escaped the small confinement of the construction zone as Kouga led the way out onto the street, barely managing to avoid being flattened against the asphalt as a car zoomed past him. Luckily, when they reached the other side of the street, an ambulance drove passed, stalling their pursuers for a moment. It was long enough for Kouga and Kagome to disappear down an alleyway and end up on the other side of the buildings.

Their pace slowed to a jog as they slipped behind a building. "Did we lose them?" Kagome asked as she placed a hand over her chest, trying to catch her breath.

"I don't know," was Kouga's rasped reply.

Their question was quickly answered as a car screeched around the opposite side of the alley, its headlights swinging across their frightened expressions.

"This way!" Kouga shouted, tugging on Kagome's elbow and leading her toward another side street, not daring to look back to see if she was following. However, she knew he was listening to the steady thump of her footsteps to make sure she didn't fall behind. She held the key to solving this messed up delusion. Without her, Kouga had nothing to go on.

They ran through a series of alleyways, ignoring the graffiti covered walls and the white steam that drifted from scattered manholes. Their pounding hearts pulsed in their ears, keeping the determination for life alive inside their chests. They paid no heed to the aches in their sides or the burn in their legs as they pushed themselves to run faster. It was true what they said. When a person's life is in danger, they become stronger and more able to withstand the obstacles they face.

Running out of the crowded city, the pair happened upon an abandoned field. Kagome followed her companion into the darkness of the tall grass, before he suddenly slipped from view. She followed his lead and fell unceremoniously onto the ground beside him, quickly rolling over to press up against his side and keeping her head low to the ground.

A group of what appeared to be seven men stopped running at the edge of the field, their flashlights swinging around the deserted area. "Damn it, we've lost them," one of them growled, his eyes searching the expanse of land around him.

"Search the streets," a second man said, seeming to be the leader of the group. "We'll check the fields."

Kagome watched with anticipation as the group split up, four taking off toward the alleyways, and three proceeding toward the fields. In the darkness, she couldn't make out their faces, but as they mumbled about getting the shitty jobs and cursing both her and Kouga's names, she had a feeling she had met them before.

A light flashed over the grass just in front of them as the leader began his steady pace toward their hiding spot, his eyes roaming over the area just beyond his feet. His partners had distanced themselves from him in order to check a wider expanse of the area, leaving little communication left.

The young editor felt a hand wrap around her own and squeeze it with reassurance. She stole a glance at Kouga, but noticed he had his eyes trained on the man steadily approaching them.

Fear washed over her as she placed a hand over her mouth, hoping to muffle her breathing. He came closer and his flashlight swept across the blades of grass in front of her face. She could have sworn her heart stopped beating, sure that their run for survival had come to an end. The men would find them and lock them up in a place where they would never see daylight again.

Kagome closed her eyes, not wanting to see the man's face as he found them. She pushed herself lower to the ground and closer to Kouga's side. If this was the end, she didn't want to face it alone.

"_Captain, come in_," a voice spoke over a walkie-talkie.

The man two feet in front of them stopped walking and fished out his radio, pressing it to his ear. "This is Captain Bank," he replied, his eyes sweeping over the expanse of the dark field.

"_What do you see? Nothing there?"_

He shook his head begrudgingly. "The fields clear."

"_You want to keep looking?"_

"No, I'm coming back to you." He turned around and motioned for his two other companions to follow him back toward the streets. "What's your twenty?"

Soon they were out of ear shot and Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. As she pressed her forehead against the cool grass, she tried to slow her rapidly beating heart. Kouga let go of her hand and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"They're gone," he whispered in her ear, causing shivers to shoot down her spine. "We're safe."

Kagome nodded her head, but did not look up from the ground. Once again, they had avoided the feds' clutches, but how much longer could they cheat fate? With the entire city like a haystack and them the needle, it was only a matter of time before they were found.

V^V^V^V^V

_A/N: I don't really like how this chapter turned out. Hope it was adequate enough._


	7. Drunken Words, Sober Thoughts

_Many thanks to enlightened-hearts-ai and hedanicree for serving as my betas._

To those I couldn't respond to:

erica: I hope this chapter gives you a little something to keep you satisfied until the next update. I know that it'll probably only produce more questions, but I warned you when I first posted that it was going to be confusing until the ending chapters. ;) Hope you enjoy this one. I'll try to get an update out alot sooner. You can blame school for my absence if you must.

**Forgotten  
Chapter 7: Drunken Words, Sober Thoughts**

The annoying ring of the telephone woke Miroku from sleep. He opened his eyes and groggily glanced at the clock on the bedside table, trying to make out the red numbers through the haze that filled his mind. It was almost three o'clock in the morning. Who could be calling him so late?

Groaning, he turned over and fumbled for the cordless phone on his nightstand and pressed it to his ear. "Hello," he mumbled, closing his eyes and leaning back against his pillow. The person on the other line better have had a damn good reason for calling him.

"_Miroku? It's Kagome."_

He blinked a few times, not sure if he heard correctly. When he came to the conclusion he had, the doctor rose in his bed startled to hear the woman's voice. "Kagome, where are you?" he asked worriedly. "Are you all right?"

"_No," _was her hushed reply. _"I mean, I'm not hurt. But there are people after us."_

Confusion flickered across Miroku's expression as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. "What do you mean?" He rubbed his eyes before fumbling for his glasses in the dark.

"_I found someone else. His daughter was on the same flight. He didn't remember her, but now he does. How do you explain that? How do you explain the people chasing us?"_

Standing up, the psychiatrist sought out the one direction he knew to take if an unstable situation like this were to occur. "Kagome, this is a panic attack," he explained to her gently. "You just hold on, all right? Now, tell me where you are. I'll leave right away. You need help."

She chuckled humorlessly on the other end. _"No, I need you to start believing in me."_

Before Miroku could get another word in, the dial tone greeted him. He pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at the receiver for a long moment, contemplating Kagome's words. During the length of his career, there had always been some solid explanation he could provide, some method to cure the madness that plagued his patients.

But when it came to Kagome's case, he found himself stuck. She sounded so determined and voiced her thoughts so fiercely; he knew there was little hope to change her mind. The woman was stubborn, that was for sure. However, all known logic stated that she was wrong, that the memories she claimed were real were just a figment of her imagination.

The doctor clenched his hand around the phone tightly. He had to make Kagome believe she never had a child. Otherwise, she could very well lose her life.

V^V^V^V^V

Kouga struggled through the door of the run-down motel room they had rented for the night. He held two brown paper bags in his arms as he kicked the door shut behind him. As he turned around, his eyes locked with Kagome, who was setting the phone back in its cradle.

"Who'd you call?" he demanded sharply, striding over to where she sat on one of the two beds.

She didn't seem fazed by his worried expression. "Miroku," she said quietly.

He lifted a brow. "Who?"

"My psychiatrist."

Kouga set the bags on the nightstand and began emptying their contents. "Why the fuck did you call him?" he growled, although there was no heat behind his words. He was concerned for their safety, of course, but there was only so much he could take before sleep deprivation caught up with him.

She shrugged. "I trust him. If anyone can help us get out of this mess, he can."

He rolled his eyes. "Do you know how stupid that was? He could tell your husband," he paused, now emphasizing his words with large hand movements, "Or better yet, go to the police. We're fugitives, Kagome."

"I know that," she replied a little more forcefully. "I'm not stupid enough to give away our location. I was simply trying to change his mind concerning my mentality."

Kouga sighed and shook his head, deciding to drop the conversation. There was no need to get into an argument right now. They were both tired, hungry, and stressed. It would only be adding fuel to the fire.

"Found an all-night place," he explained gently as she hesitantly looked over the food he brought. He sat down on the queen-sized bed opposite her. "Didn't have much."

A few bags of chips were laid out on the nightstand with two bottles of water, as Kouga grabbed a package of cookies for himself. He glanced up at her, watching her nibble her bottom lip hesitantly. "You should eat something."

Kagome cocked her head to the side with a wry smile. "Just trying to decide if I want too much salt or too much sugar."

Kouga looked at her for a moment before holding out the package of cookies with a small smirk. "Sugar."

The young editor took an Oreo cookie with a soft smile in thanks before nibbling on it. Kouga popped one into his mouth and watched her with calculating eyes.

He was still trying to wrap his mind around their whole ordeal. It wasn't every day someone believed fairytale stories from an old man might actually be true. Things like that were created to help children fall asleep at night. How in the hell was he supposed to believe these so-called 'demons' were out to get him? And why the fuck would they want him in the first place?

And then there was Kagome. He had to admit, she was one hell of a woman. He didn't remember her ever being so strong-willed before, or so adamant about her decisions. If it wasn't for her, he would still be living the drunken haze he had called life, never knowing he had a daughter. It was enough to drive a man crazy.

Too shaken by what had occurred during the last twenty-eight hours, Kouga reached for the second paper bag and brought out a bottle of Whiskey. Sometimes all he needed was a few moments of peace.

"I wish you wouldn't do that," Kagome spoke up from her place across from him.

"Who are you, my mother?" he replied as the top popped off the bottle. "Don't worry about it."

Kouga ignored her defeated expression and stood up to walk into the bathroom. He knew she was judging him, probably labeling him as a pitiful alcoholic. When he looked in the mirror, he really couldn't blame her. A man looking well past his years stared back at him. His unshaven face and red-rimmed eyes did nothing to dissuade that fact.

A sigh escaped his lips as he hung his head. One man could only take so much in a single day before he began to break down. With a shake of his head, he grabbed a small plastic cup from the sink and walked over to the small window ledge near the motel door.

"I think I'm just going to go to bed," Kagome called from across the room.

He glanced at the clock. It was well past three in the morning, and even he was finally feeling full-blown exhaustion hit him. She turned off the lamp hanging over her end of the bedside table. She quickly moved the curtains for privacy, before unbuttoning her jeans and stripping down to her underwear.

Kouga stole a glance at her as he brought a shot of whiskey to his lips. The moonlight drifted softly over her porcelain skin and caused her ebony hair to radiate in a blue back-glow. She removed her top, leaving her in a simple black tank top that left nothing to the imagination.

Her eyes rose to meet his and they simply stared at one another. Kouga couldn't deny there were sparks between them and they were more noticeable now in the dimly lit hotel room than when they were on the run from the feds. However, he knew they could never coexist together as more than just friends and even that was stretching it.

Finally, he turned his eyes toward the window and poured another shot of booze, downing it in one gulp. A minute later, he heard her quietly slip beneath the covers of the bed, already half asleep if he didn't know better.

"You held out." Maybe it was the darkness of their motel room or the alcohol slowly seeping through his system, but he found the words flowing from his lips before he could stop them.

"What?" Kagome replied, her voice muffled by the blanket.

He blearily looked out the window at the small storm brewing, refusing to turn around and face her. "You held out and I didn't. I forgot her." Those three words caused pain to shoot through his heart. It was the first time he acknowledged those thoughts aloud. "How'd you do that?"

She shifted in bed, turning to face the window away from him. "I don't know." He could tell she was on the brink of dreamland, but at the same time, he couldn't help but voice one more thought.

"What's so important about us? Or our kids?" he asked, his fifth shot of whiskey at his lips. He turned around and locked gazes with her. "I mean, the kids are dead. Why try to erase our memories? It's not like we're going to go look for them."

She shook her head before turning over a final time and burying herself deeper into the blankets.

After only a few moments, Kouga heard her breathing even out and he knew she was asleep. It was going to be another hour or so before he'd be able to find comfort among his pillows and dreams about a certain red-headed little girl.

V^V^V^V^V

_The little dark-haired girl turned around and waved at Kagome, her smile bright and her eyes dancing with excitement. _

_Kagome waved in return, watching from behind the fence as Rin hurried to catch up with the other kids. Her backpack bounced upon her back as she made it to the stairs. She turned around then, catching her mother's eyes, and stuck out her tongue in a childish gesture. _

_A laugh bubbled up in Kagome's throat as she watched her daughter board the plane, disappearing into the dark compartment and out of her sight. _

_Minutes later, the plane was ready to fly and was bounding down the runway. It took off into the blue sky, shortly disappearing behind the clouds and becoming a white spec in the distance._

_Kagome had no idea it would be the last memory she would have of her little girl._

V^V^V^V^V

Sunlight filtered through the dusty motel room, slowly rousing Kagome from sleep. "Rin," she mumbled into her pillow, snuggling farther into the warmth the bed offered. She wasn't ready to face the day yet. It would mean facing another day without the sunshine of her life.

She closed her eyes, eager to fall back into dreams of happier days, but something in the back of her mind prevented her from doing so. It took a few minutes of thinking before Kouga's final words from the night before came flooding back.

"_I mean, the kids are dead. Why try to erase our memories? It's not like we're going to go looking for them."_

Kagome lay in bed for a few moments, pondering the drunkard's words. It wasn't until almost five minutes later that she shot up in bed, suddenly wide awake with her heart pounding.

"Kouga," she called, whipping around to face the man passed out on the adjoining bed. He didn't make a sound.

She threw off the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Kouga, wake up," she said louder, pulling on her jeans as fast as she could. "Come on."

Stealing a glance over her shoulder, she noted he hadn't moved. "Come on, wake up. Wake up!"

Kagome continued to repeat the mantra as she crossed the room, coming to stand by his bedside. "Wake up, come on." She shook him lightly, but he didn't show any signs of consciousness. The only thing proving he was still alive was his labored breaths.

Frustration fired through her veins as she tried without success to wake up her companion. She smacked him a few times on the ass, hoping that would rouse him, but it did no good.

"You are unbelievable," she growled, placing her hands on her hips. Her eyes drifted over the nightstand, where a now empty bottle of Whiskey stood next to half a package of Oreos. "Damn it, Kouga." Leave it to him to pass out drunk when there were bigger things at stake.

However, next to the bottle was the ice bucket. Since it had sat overnight in the warm motel room, the ice had melted, leaving cold water in its place. A thought struck Kagome and with a daring glimmer in her eyes, she picked it up.

"Kouga," she warned, although he didn't stir. "Kouga." When there was still no response, she knew there was only one way to get the man out of bed. "Wake up," she said sternly while pouring the ice-cold water across the ex-athlete's neck.

Muffled curses and shouts could be heard through the pillow as Kouga struggled to sit upright, totally out of sorts of where he was or who he was with. "What the hell are you doing?" he shouted in a rage, glaring at her with a fierce blue gaze.

"Listen to me!" she demanded, trying to avoid his flailing arms as he tried unsuccessfully to push her away.

"You nutjob!" he yelled, standing up in a frenzy. He lost his footing and fell back down on the bed, seething at her bitterly. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"Listen to me! You were right!" Kagome shouted, putting her hands up in defense as if to quell his anger.

Her words seemed to make it through his thick skull. After her words processed, he simply sat there and looked up at her with a confused expression. His face was still red with anger, and his eyes shot daggers at her, but he remained silent.

"You were right. You didn't know it, but you were right."

Kouga's struggles had ceased as he looked up at her with furrowed brows, his hands gripping the sides of the mattress tightly. Water dripped down his collar and his hair, making him appear all the more frazzled. "What are you going on about, woman?" he demanded in a tone that was none too friendly.

"If the children were dead, they would leave it at that," Kagome explained, sweeping a strand of hair over her ear. "If we all thought they were dead, why would they erase them? Like you said, why would they need to make us forget them?"

He wiped a hand down his face before looking at her once more. "I'm guessing 'they' are these so-called demons?"

She ignored his sarcastic comment and pressed forward. "Don't you feel that Ayame's alive out there?"

The ex-hockey player averted his gaze. "I don't know, maybe." However, as he thought about his connection with his daughter's memory, he couldn't help but feel something within his chest. Maybe it was hope that there was some truth behind Kagome's words. Whatever it was, he knew it was something. He raised his blue eyes to meet hers. "Yeah."

She bit her lip and sat down across from him on the other bed. "I think the children are alive, Kouga. That's why I can still feel her, why I can't let go."

With hesitancy, she wrapped her hands in his and looked him in the eyes, an imperceptible smile touching her lips. "The children are alive."

V^V^V^V^V

_A/N: Sorry for such a late update, guys. If you want to know the details as to why it took me so long, feel free to check out my profile. In any case, I hope the wait was worth your while and I'll try to have the next chapter out as soon as I can. Thanks for sticking around._


	8. Memories of Ash

A/N: I know, a terribly long wait for such a short chapter. I'd rather not list a bunch of excuses, but hopefully you'll forgive me anyways. Enjoy.

**Forgotten  
Chapter 8: Memories of Ash**

The blare of a car horn startled Kagome as she walked out of Toma Motors Rental Company with Kouga trailing behind her. Traffic whizzed past her just beyond the gate as morning rush hour began to settle down. She folded her arms across her chest and bowed her head against the slight nip in the air.

There was no doubt in her mind that the children were alive. They had to be. Kouga's drunken words refused to leave her mind, causing her heart to pound frantically in her chest. She wanted to move faster and track down the bastards who dared to play such a trick on a mother's heart. Was it so much to want to have her little girl in her arms again?

"We shouldn't have done that," Kouga mumbled with furrowed brows, bringing Kagome from her thoughts. He was on edge. His eyes quickly scanned over the crowd surrounding them. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Kagome bit her lip. She knew it was a risky decision, using her credit card to rent a set of wheels, but they didn't have any other choice. Both of their cars were tagged and they didn't have time to search for a car to hotwire. "It'll be fine," she tried to reassure him. The glare he sent her way did little to soothe the tension.

She shook it off. "Sesshomaru usually leaves the office by 12:15 for his lunch break," she mentioned as they neared a bronze Hyundai Sonata. "We can try and catch him then."

"We need to get him alone," Kouga commented. He looked at her curiously, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "What's the guy like?"

Kagome shrugged. "He isn't exactly the most sociable person in the world. Tends to look down on others, his brother especially."

He smirked. "Sounds like a real charmer."

"He is," she replied with a scowl. "He has his own charm, one I can't expect you to understand." She ignored him as he rolled his eyes. "I mean, we've had our problems like all couples do. But he loved Rin." A soft smile came to her lips.

He unlocked the car and paused before getting in. "You should make him say Rin's name, like you made me say 'Ayame,'" he suggested with a half-shrug. "Might work."

Kagome nodded. "It's worth a shot I suppose." Before she could continue the conversation further, swirling lights of blue and red drew her attention across the street. A policeman was stepping out of his vehicle, looking directly at them. "We need to go."

Kouga followed her gaze to see what had her so spooked. "Fuck," he growled, spinning around and glowering at her. "I fucking knew this was going to back-fire." They quickly climbed into their rental car and buckled their seatbelts. He started the car and threw it into gear, while Kagome kept her eyes trained on the cop steadily making his way toward them.

The car lurched forward as Kouga slammed down on the gas, speeding toward the exit of the parking lot. Seemingly out of nowhere, a man with long, black hair and startling red eyes blocked their path.

"Look out!" Kagome screamed, instinctively bracing herself against the dashboard.

Kouga braked, bringing the Hyundai to a complete stop, inches from hitting the man. He threw the car into reverse without a second thought and began backing out through the entrance gate. Just before clearing the fence, a truck pulled up and blocked their escape route.

"Damn it!" the ex-athlete shouted as he braked once more and threw the car into drive. They sped toward the dark-haired man who had yet to move from their path.

"Get out of the way!" Kouga yelled in warning.

The man simply stood there and stared at them with a sickening smile. A shiver raced down Kagome's spine as she felt a tug at her memory, trying to recall where she had seen him before.

A scream tore itself from her throat as the car crashed into him, throwing the man into a gas pump behind him with a loud bang. Kouga peeled out of the parking lot and into the flow of traffic as his speedometer continued to climb.

"Fuck!" he cursed, glancing in his rear-view mirror.

Kagome whipped her head around in alarm, fervently looking for the man through the back windshield. "Oh my—Is he—? Did we—?"

"I don't know," her companion said. His blue eyes shot around in a crazed manner.

The young editor turned around in her seat and pressed her hands against her forehead, trying to calm her racing heart. Becoming panicked would do nothing for their situation. "I've seen him before," she mumbled.

Kouga glanced at her with furrowed brows. "What?"

She didn't answer him, instead watching the scenery pass by. Everything was happening so fast. It was hard to wrap her mind around it and keep her thoughts steady. They had just hit someone and possibly killed him! But the strange part was that he had been at the library two days prior and before that he had been outside Miroku's apartment building the day she had misplaced her car. Was he following her? What did he want?

Before she could voice her concerns to Kouga, the ringing of her cell phone interrupted her. "Don't answer it!" he warned.

Sending him a glare, Kagome flipped open her phone. "Hello?"

"_Hello, is this Kagome Taisho?"_

A look of confusion passed over Kagome's eyes as she stole a glance at Kouga. "Who is this?"

"_Kagome, this is Lieutenant Sango Taijiya."_

The title of Lieutenant immediately sent Kagome into a panic mode. "We didn't mean to hurt anybody!" she promised almost frantically. "There was a man in front of our car and he wouldn't get out of the way."

"_What?"_

She sighed with exasperation. "We're just trying to find our children."

"Hang up!" Kouga demanded, impatiently.

"_Yes, I know," _Sango continued. _"I know about your case."_

Her words stopped Kagome cold and she waved off Kouga's insistent scowl. "You know?"

"Hang up!" her companion yelled again, ignoring the defiant look she shot him.

"_Is that Kouga Ookami?"_

"They took our kids!" he shouted. "They made us think they died in a plane crash."

"Sango," Kagome began calmly, shooting Kouga a glare. "Look, I know this doesn't make any sense, but my daughter, Rin Taisho, and-and Kouga's daughter, Ayame Ookami – they were on the same plane. Now, how can two people remember two different children if they never existed?"

Before she could hear the lieutenant's response, Kagome flipped her phone shut and returned it to her jacket pocket. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Was that the police?" Kouga questioned, stopping at a red light and looking over at her.

She nodded slowly. "She knows about us."

He rolled his eyes. "No shit, Sherlock. She's involved with the fucking police. What do you think?"

"You don't have to talk to me like that," she spat in return, shooting him a glower. "What the hell is your problem?"

Kouga growled as the light changed and he sped off again. "We shouldn't be talking to any cops; that's all. We're fugitives. You honestly think they want to help us?"

"It's not like I told her where we're headed or what we're doing," she threw back at him. "Who knows, maybe she can help."

He scoffed. "Yeah, along with all those other agents chasing us."

"They're from the NSA – a national branch that has little to do with the city," Kagome reminded him. "Sango might be our way out of this mess."

"Or she could lead us right to jail," he bit back bitterly.

Kagome was exasperated. "Do you have any faith in anyone but yourself?"

"Nope." He smirked and stole a glance at her.

She rolled her eyes and kept silent, choosing instead to cross her arms and look out the window. She suddenly couldn't wait to see Sesshomaru again, if only to get her away from her stubborn-ass companion. She couldn't predict how long it would be before he got on her last nerve and she did something she might regret.

V^V^V^V^V

People dressed in dark business attire bustled passed her as Kagome swung her gaze over the cement courtyard for the hundredth time. It wouldn't be hard to detect Sesshomaru's long, silver hair through the crowd, but she was still a little antsy. Not only were the feds looking for her, but if she could get her husband on her side and help him to remember like Kouga had, there was a chance this nightmare would end.

Finally, she spotted Sesshomaru's tall figure making his way out of his office building, briefcase in hand. She quickly rushed to him with determination, her boots clicking against the pavement.

"Sesshomaru," she greeted with a hesitant smile as she cut him off.

He stopped walking and looked down at her with calculating eyes. His expression was so distant; it made her blood run cold. "Do I know you?"

Kagome faltered in what she was going to say, utterly surprised by his words. She blinked once, and then again, unsure if she had heard him correctly. "What's the matter?" she asked, peering up at him with furrowed brows. "It's me."

Her husband only looked at her, raising a single brow to hide behind silver bangs. "Is there some business you have with me?"

She gaped at him and shook her head slowly in disbelief before realization dawned on her. "Oh, no, what did they do to you? It's-It's me. It's Kagome." She reached her hand out toward him, but the glare he sent caused her to pause in her actions.

Sesshomaru's eyes turned venomous. "Explain yourself, woman."

Kagome ignored the film of tears in her eyes as she swallowed past the lump in her throat. She retracted her hand and curled it to her chest. "I know your wife," she replied quietly, feeling her heart break.

"You have me mistaken," he said, holding up his left hand. "I've never wed."

He pushed passed her and she followed him, folding her arms around her torso. "Sesshomaru Inu Taisho," she cried out.

With her words, Sesshomaru stopped walking and turned around to stare at her. His curiosity was barely evident. "Who are you and how do you know me?"

"It doesn't matter," she said, trying to keep her voice steady as tears threatened to overcome her. "Just tell me something. Do you know a Rin Taisho?"

He glanced down at the watch on his wrist impatiently. "No relation," he stated, swinging his gaze to the surrounding crowd.

Kagome grasped for straws, anything that would reveal that Sesshomaru's memory was intact. "Maybe it would help if you said the name: Rin."

"I don't know who you are or who you speak of. I suggest you leave this Sesshomaru be before I involve security," he growled.

Confusion and panic raced through her as he turned to leave. "Wait!" she yelled, blocking his path once more. He glared down at her. "Please, just say her name. You have to remember!"

His eyes flickered to the other side of the courtyard and she followed his gaze. A few men with dark sunglasses and black attire began making their way toward them.

She turned to him pleadingly. "Please, Sesshomaru. How could you forget her? How could you forget our little girl?"

By now, tears were streaming down her face. With desperation, she grasped his jacket in her hands and shook him. "Remember her!" she choked out. "Remember all the mornings she crawled into our bed, and the days we took her to the park? Or when she learned how to ride a bike? You have to remember our daughter!"

As the men continued to close in on them, Kouga was suddenly by her side, pulling her off of her estranged husband. She pushed against him, grasping the air desperately, trying to reach for Sesshomaru. But soon she had no more strength to do anything but cry.

Kagome allowed Kouga to lead her out of the courtyard and toward the street. He wrapped his arm around her waist and allowed her to lean on him. "It's okay," he mumbled reassuringly. "We'll find a way."

She numbly shook her head as they made their way down the concrete steps and toward the rental car. Suddenly, the screech of tires tore her from her thoughts as a car slammed on its breaks and started driving in reverse straight at them.

"It's them!" Kouga shouted, pulling on her arm as he broke into a run.

She stumbled after him, trying to keep up with his fast pace, while she fought to see through the haze of tears. There was a crash in the distance, and she whipped her head around to see the car had backed into a taxi.

Turning forward once more, Kagome blindly following after Kouga's leather jacket, hoping she wouldn't lose him in the crowd of business men. The pair quickly slipped inside their car, buckled their seatbelts, and tore out onto the main street.

Kouga cut to the left and then to the right, driving down a side street and coming out on the other side of the buildings. He glanced in the rear-view mirror and slowed his speed, waiting for someone to follow after them.

Trying to calm her racing heart, Kagome simply stared out the window, her mind replaying the last few minutes over and over again in her head. Memories of the days she spent with Sesshomaru came to mind, only to turn to ash. Her husband, the man she promised to spend her life with, the man she had fallen deeply in love with and had born a child with, had forgotten who she was.

She felt Kouga glance at her, but didn't offer an explanation to her silence. How could this happen? It was to be expected that in the craziness of this mess that Ayumi may forget Rin, but Rin's father? Kagome felt as if a knife had been twisted in her heart.

"We gotta get out of here," Kouga spoke up as a police car with its sirens on drove by them. His eyes darted around the street in front of him. "Out of the city, at least for tonight. I know someplace far enough."

He glanced over at the passenger, taking in her empty stare and blank expression. "Kagome?"

"He didn't even know me," she whispered, blinking slowly and turning to look out the window. "He forgot me."


End file.
